Death of Heroism
by Setrus
Summary: The Reapers have arrived and Michael will do anything to end them, but how far can one man go before losing himself? Hate and love, despair and hope, a clash of extremes on the battlefield and within his very soul will now begin. The third heroism tale.
1. Chapter 1

_Well_..._this is fun_.

Sighing for what had to be the fifteenth time in that hour, James Vega shifted where he stood while once more sweeping a hand over the avenger in his hands, making sure the safety was on; which given that he had checked it just as many times as he had sighed, it was. He was dressed in Alliance fatigues, and while he wasn't nervous about having to enter a firefight while stationed in the heart of Vancouver, he missed the reassuring weight of his combat armour. _I'm not built for guard duty_...

When Anderson had approached him on Omega with a priority mission, Vega hadn't quite imagined becoming a glorified doorman...yet there he was, guarding a door. He would never complain to an officer, that's what the fellow grunts were for after all, but even though James understood that his mission was actually quite important, one to take seriously, he wasn't too pleased with his posting.

Of course, guarding Michael Shepard, the first human Spectre and a living _legend_ among the Alliance marines helped a bit. Quite a few of the other marines stationed on the base were envious of James' posting, and with good reason, however much James found guard duty boring, there were _far_ duller postings on the base.

First of all, it was fun to see the big-shot officers sweat a bit whenever they got close to Shepard's quarters. Still a Council Spectre, and as such untouchable by Alliance laws if he so chose to invoke his rights, Michael couldn't really be arrested, nor commanded to comply to their orders in any shape or form. As such it was 'problematic to detain him', the words an Alliance Admiral had used a while ago making James smirk. _Can't call it an arrest, can't lock the door or put him in chains, trusting him to stay for his trial with nothing but his word that he'll stay...it must keep the higher ups doing somersaults_.

Second, the man, being such a legend, had quite a few visitors. While James didn't really find checking people's credentials and patting them down – Shepard had a few enemies after all – fun, it was at least a welcome break of the monotony...and besides, it was _interesting_ to see who came to visit the commander.

Surprisingly, despite being the one really in charge of the 'detainment' of Shepard, and one of his team-mates back when they were hunting Saren, James' temporary CO since his reinstatement, Kaidan Alenko, hadn't come by visit even _once_. James wasn't one to pry, though he had figured out that there was some sort of tension there, or at least that Major Alenko was uncomfortable around his former Commander. _Eugh, they should just have a good fistfight and clear the air_... Not that James minded being left to his own devices, Kaidan had struck him as a good officer, but seemed a bit uptight, one who you had no problem obeying, but who you couldn't really bond or relate with, a _classic_ officer...and James had long ago learnt to dislike that type.

Quite a few of that type had entered Shepard's quarters during his six month stay, Admirals and Generals galore had come and gone. Despite James not caring much for most who reach that rank, too many were pencil-pushers, he usually looked forward to one of them entering. While the door muffled nearly all sounds, James had managed to hear how quite a few of those conversations had turned into Shepard angrily shouting at them. Apparently the higher ups were trying to talk him into complying with _their_ version of what had happened over in the Bahak system...and the man would have none of it. _Bet the trial will be amusing_...

The two exceptions were Admiral Anderson and Hackett, the two had come by several times, the former in particular. Then there was never any shouting, never any arguing, though whenever they left the two admirals looked troubled, even as Michael looked relieved, sometimes even smiling. _Good to see not __everyone__ is willing to sell out the one saving our colonies from the Collectors_. That was what James hated the most about the politics of admirals and generals, they teach their marines to fight to the last, never to leave a man behind...and then easily sacrificed others to cover their own hides for some intangible political victory. _And people wonder why I didn't want that last promotion_...

Then there were the civilians.

There had been the record producer with a song about Shepard that he wanted to ship out, and willing to offer royalties to Shepard for it. _You can fight like a Krogan, run like a leopard_... Humming, James smiled at the addictive lyrics. Similarly, there had been a toy maker pushing a line of dolls, a few movie producers, which was surprising given how many movies about Shepard's life and the battle of the Citadel there already was.

It had been amusing to let them in, knowing that if the Commander had been truly under arrest such visitors would never have been allowed, which meant that whenever those visitors came the Admirals and Generals hid away at other ends of the base, unwilling to see the breach of protocol. Clearly, Shepard had broken the system.

The majority of the visitors had been reporters though. Shepard's incarceration and the reason behind it was the biggest piece of news out there. Particularly within the Alliance, given how he'd been viewed as a hero after the battle of the Citadel and a villain after being associated with Cerberus...everyone wanted to get the scoop about who the _real_ Commander Shepard was.

As a rule with civilian guests, James had to be in the room during such visits, and had done his utmost not to react to the questions being thrown at the Commander. Some of them had been _incredibly_ personal and even rude...enough to make James consider throwing out the odd journalist, but since Shepard had allowed them entry, his hands had been tied. Shepard had handled them well though, refusing to comment on any questions of a personal nature, but answering nearly every other question fired at him with a calm confidence. He didn't comment on the subject of the trial, but he continued to claim that all he did, he did to fight the Reapers...usually such talks led to another shouting match with an Admiral the next day.

James himself was on the fence about such claims.

He had _seen_ Sovereign, and he did understand that it might not be a simple Geth dreadnought. He had _fought_ the Collectors, he knew the threat they had posed until Shepard had disposed of them. He also knew that whenever the government hushed something up and refused to acknowledge the words of the one who had been on the ground, there was something there they were trying to protect people from. As such, James was inclined to believe there was a threat, a _big_ threat.

But sentient starships from beyond the galaxy? It was hard to wrap your head around, never mind to believe. _Which might be just what Command is relying on_...

A light tapping of heeled shoes brought James out of his thoughts, making him look up at the sight of the Asari approaching from the far end of the hall.

It was a rare occurrence that any aliens visited Earth, the old governments mostly preferred to do their deals with them over communication relays and the Alliance itself was based on Arcturus station and sent any diplomats and the like there instead of any of their earth-bound bases. And despite being a beautiful planet, Earth was a bit too far off and full of the relative newcomers to the galactic community to be a place for alien tourists who'd rather visit Thessia, Illium, Sur'kesh or even Kahje.

James dutifully smiled at the Asari, despite being somewhat guarded against her kind.

He knew it was partly due to the old Earth culture of distrusting aliens, as well as the Alliance training programs always painting various aliens as enemies during training, and therefore promoting a bit of xenophobia among the troops...but James believed he'd gotten past that with all his real experience of the galaxy. That didn't stop him from making his own observations though.

The Asari were a mixed bag for James. They were beautiful...so much so that James found it a bit off-putting. It wasn't enough that they were all near ageless biotics with great economic and political power, but they were beautiful to every species in the galaxy as well...it gave them an air of superiority that James couldn't help but want to rebel against. And he couldn't understand how a species with a culture that encouraged their young to work as _strippers_ could try to pass off as cultural and wise...yet they had succeeded.

On that note, the strippers were actually those James had the _least_ problem with. It might be tawdry to some, but James had no problem enjoying a good gyrating lady...and if the Asari enjoyed her work, who was he to disagree with it? But then there were the diplomats, administrators and store clerks...they were nearly always polite and soft-spoken, always trying to make themselves come off as your servant, despite almost always getting their way and usually being far richer than you yourself...it felt wrong, as if they were tricking you. Not only that, but James had met more than one Asari mercenary and Commando in his days, and had yet to find one that _didn't_ revelin her biotic powers and skills at arms...it was as if the shell of politeness had been stripped away, revealing the _true_ nature of the Asari and how hungry for power they were.

He didn't mind Eluni so much though, being a lawyer, an _Asari_ lawyer at that, James had expected her to be as polite and soft-spoken as the rest of them. Yet the Asari had surprised him from day one, being surprisingly forward and driven, in particular he had gotten the impression she was fully dedicated to getting Shepard free. Apparently the Commander had saved her sister from having to fight and likely be killed by a Justicar – whatever that was – and she was determined to make them square.

She also had good taste in clothing.

Enjoying the sight of her nearly bare feet walking in heeled sandals, as well as the way her tight green dress parted to reveal part of her calves as she walked – not to mention having the stylish cuts the Asari preferred that revealed the sides of her waist and much of her shoulders – James smile became a bit more genuine as he eyed the purple Asari._ If only every lawyer dressed like that_...

The Asari knowingly smiled at him, during her many visits to Shepard she and him had developed something of a rapport based on respectful teasing. It made James' day a little more bearable, and he guessed it did the same for her, the Shepard case had dragged on for quite a bit, after all...

"James." The Asari came to stop before him, the briefcase in her right hand looking decidedly heavier than usual. "Civilian reporting for her frisking." She offered a teasing salute.

James smirked, gaze moving over her. He had stopped patting her down ages ago, rules were rules, Alenko would have argued, but after six months it was ridiculous to suspect the lawyer working pro bono for Shepard to be his assassin...plus, given that James could almost call her a friend by now, it felt wrong. Not that that would stop him from giving a teasing reply. "Yeah, I doubt you're able to hide anything under that lovely thing..."

"Lovely? You like my dress...?" The Asari inched closer, still smirking, their game of teasing had an unwritten rule about no hands or trying to push things into anything else...yet James always struggled when she got close enough for her scent to wash over him. Making it even harder, Eluni held up her bag with both hands, pressing it close to her chest as she glanced downwards. "Won't you even check my briefcase...?"

Grunting, James suppressed the urge to glance down at her chest or to reach out. He knew Eluni would just brush it off with a laugh, smug over having won their little game...but he wasn't about to fall for it. Instead he took a final deep breath of her...and stepped aside while thumping the door's control with another grunt. "Just get in there."

A little chuckle escaped the Asari...and then the briefcase was once more hanging from her hand as her expression turned from that of a coquettish lady to a professional lawyer. Stepping inside with confident steps, she was followed by James who closed the door behind them. He might consistently break the rule of patting Eluni down, but he didn't quite dare to totally disregard protocol about civilian guests, the punishments were quite harsh, after all.

Shepard's office was large and spacious, more an apartment than a cell.

To James' left the kitchen was large enough to sport a steel table in the middle of it, polished to a mirror shine, though a few crumbs strewn across it showed that it had seen recent use. There was a hip-high wall facing the living room, wine-glasses hanging from metal railings above it, cooking utilities hanging on hooks above them. There was a stove on the opposite end of the kitchen, a stained pot still atop it, despite the insta-wash machine being installed right next to it.

The living room made up the majority of the apartment, only allowing for a small room located past the kitchen for a bed and a very small wardrobe, as well as a small bathroom even further away. On the other hand, that allowed the living room to be a large space with a couch and two padded chairs around a glass table, the holographic television on the wall to James' right nearly mute as it showed some documentary about Palaven wildlife. At the far end the apartment's white walls were replaced by a wall of glass that could be opened to give access to a balcony with another pair of chairs around a tiny wooden table, the balcony itself giving a good view over the distant harbour. The place was by no means fancy, but it was nicer than anything a person technically under house arrest had a right to ask for.

Shepard himself was lying on the couch, the documentary not holding his interest as he was reading a book called 'Theories on Dark Matter and its application'. _Heavy_ _reading_... Judging by the way the man was frowning and constantly flicking back to a previous page though, Michael wasn't quite grasping whatever was being presented and was getting a bit frustrated about it.

James grimaced. Shepard had struck him as a nice guy the first time they'd met, more so than most officers, but he was also a bit moody, in particular during these last few months...which wasn't so surprising considering how long he'd been stuck in one place. It was still an impressive feat of patience to stay isolated for so long – especially since he could leave whenever he wanted to – not to mention that it showed that the man was willing to get whatever plan he had through no matter how long it took...James could respect that.

Despite the inaction the man was still fit, slightly taller than James, he didn't quite have the bulky muscles of his 'guard', but he was still broad over the shoulders, muscled and could very likely give even James a run for his money if it came to arm-wrestling. He had gotten a bit sloppy as of late though, his blond hair had been cropped short, as a marine should have it, but the clean shave he had sported for several months, something that a few old recruitment adds had shown off as a sign of a perfect soldier's discipline, had been replaced by an ignored matt of stubble.

Not that James was in any position to critique, in fact he liked his own face without such a shave, but that fact that Shepard had gone from shaving every day to nearly ignoring it showed that inaction wasn't good for him.

Looking up, the man's blue eyes brightened at the sight of the Asari Lawyer. "Eluni, come in, come in, sit. James, I know you'll stand..." Swinging his legs about and sitting up on the couch, Michael gestured at the chair to his right as he casually tossed the book he'd been reading onto the left chair, offering James a quick smile before focusing all his attention on Eluni, eyes intense."You've been off longer than usual..." There was a question there, an eager curiosity.

_Oh yeah, he's right_. James found himself straightening, now curious as well, and since Shepard had never expressed any disapproval about James eavesdropping, he fixed his gaze upon Eluni and eagerly listened in.

Moving with the easy grace of her species, Eluni swiftly moved over to the offered seat, sat down and crossed her right leg over her left before replying, a somewhat savage smile on her lips. "Indeed I have, I've been trying to get this trial reopened, this delay has been so long half the witnesses must have forgotten their statements by now, as has the court. The Alliance admiralty has been annoyingly persistent in embracing these constant delays, as if postponing the inevitable will somehow change the outcome. Goddess, it's like I never left Thessia..." The Asari rolled her eyes , but then grinned. "So I went to the source instead. Garat is angry with not being able to get in contact with the Batarian Hegemony, blaming the Alliance for trying to cut him off from them, but not _as_ angry with the idea of you not being punished. So a bit of taunting, a few whispered words about me getting the trial repealed...and he started making demands, _loud_ demands."

By now, Shepard was grinning as well. "Ah, _finally_, so we'll continue the trial even without the Batarian representative having fresh instructions from the Hegemony?"

"Indeed we can." Eluni nodded, looking pleased with herself. "At ten tomorrow, our plan of defence still stands strong, so I'm fairly confident about our chances legally." She cocked her head to the side. "That said, I still think you're being a moron." _Heh_. James nearly chuckled, Eluni was still herself, anything _but_ a classic Asari. "I might have the legal issues at hand, but I have no control about the politics behind all this. I have tried to speak to people privately and influence their view on things, but I can't get Garat to lay off you in any way, he wants _blood_."

"Of course he does, he's probably fanatically loyal to his government." Shepard replied with a shrug, then looked down at his hands with a sombre sigh. "And who knows how many friends and family he had in the Bahak System...can we blame him for being angry?" James grimaced, God knew he had no love for the Batarians, but Shepard did have a point, the destruction of the system had left hundreds of thousands dead.

"You must not speak like that in the courtroom." Eluni snapped, frowning at the human. "It implies guilt, we can't have that if we're to get you freed the usual way." She rolled her eyes, looking away as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Personally, I don't understand why you just don't walk away, as a Spectre they can't really hold you."

"We've been over this." Shepard replied, surprisingly calm for someone willingly letting himself be charged with one of the biggest acts of terrorism in ages. "_Legally_, I can do that, politically, not so much. The Alliance may claim that their hands are tied, but the Batarians won't see it like that. I have no intentions of giving the Batarians a reason to start a war with the Alliance due to my actions, not with the Reapers on our threshold."

_Reapers or not, that's damn noble_. James straightened, like many marines he didn't care about Michael being discharged. To him, the man was one of them, and one to be proud of.

Eluni just sighed, hand coming up to rub her temples. "Can I _at least_ convince you to drop the whole Reaper thing? It's the weakest point of our defence unless you wish to reconsider the insanity plea."

"No." Michael's face changed, growing more serious, nearly _angry_. A shake of his head...and a weak smile broke through it. "As to the insanity...let's make that plan B."

"Already planned for that eventuality." Eluni smirked, patting her briefcase.

"Okay, so let's go over this again." Michael raised his hand, omni-tool glowing and showing a variety of files that began to change as Eluni activated her own and electronically hooked it up to his. "You want me to-"

James' communicator chimed, making him raise a hand and press two fingers against his ear. "Lieutenant Vega reporting."

"Major Alenko here, you're relieved by Lieutenant Linn." Alenko's voice greeted him just as the door slid open, revealing a familiar man of Asian descent in fatigues and carrying the standard avenger as well. Offering the man a friendly nod, James brushed past him, eager to let him take up the duty of guarding a room for _anything_ else; one could only only look at Eluni for so long before getting bored with the view anyway. However, just as he stepped out of the room, Alenko's voice once more spoke up. "Meet me at the dry dock." He didn't have to specify which one.

Groaning, James came to a stop, rolling his eyes. "It's not the Normandy _again_, is it?" He sighed. "We've already checked it for Cerberus bugs _three_ times, and Specialist Traynor and Cortez are _far_ more qualified for that and have done so _six_ times." It wasn't that James had anything against the opportunity to see those two again, but knowing Alenko he would end up crawling through maintenance ducts most of the day, and James _really_ wasn't built for that job...

"You'll follow orders, _Lieutenant_." Was Alenko's cold reply, the man might be somewhat friendly at times, but whenever the topic was the Normandy or Cerberus, the man tensed up and got frosty with anyone not taking the threat of the later seriously enough...which according to him _no one_ did. "We might spot something these technicians miss, and even one missed bug can put Admiral Anderson at risk, we're _not_ taking any chances."

Holding back a sigh, James started walking. "Yes, sir, I'm heading there now, sir."

"Stow the attitude." Apparently, Alenko hadn't calmed down yet. "You're checking Engineering, I'll be at the Command deck."

"Yes, sir." James shut off the communicator before letting a single word slip through clenched teeth. "Pendejo..." _Another two hours crawling through ducts, oh joy_. He wouldn't complain, his commanding officer wasn't asking anything big of him, and he usually did as ordered, but that didn't mean James had to _enjoy_ any of it.

_I'm not supposed to be a guard or engineer, dammit_..._why can't I just get something to shoot at_?

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for giving this chapter a bite._


	2. Chapter 2

"This is it, you're nervous?"

Michael nearly scoffed. He had fought Reapers, he had watched an entire galaxy die, he himself had died and been reborn, it would take more than a trial with political undercurrents to frighten him. In fact, given the delays with bringing forth evidence from what little remained of the Bahak system, Batarian evidence, Alliance intelligence that needed to be declassified to be used, the time needed to bring in Admirals that needed to be there for a trial of this magnitude, dealing with the press and not to mention the Batarian delegation's problem with contacting their government and Michael was sick and tired of waiting. "No, I want this over and done with."

With Eluni flanking him, they were walking the last few feet towards the courtroom, the reporters and photographers that hadn't managed to secure a spot in it barely held back by a contingent of marines as they shot pictures and questions at the pair at a dizzying pace. Michael ignored them though, he had answered enough questions already and was now set on getting on with the trial.

Eluni was right though, she had no way to control the politics behind the trial, and to be fair, Michael had very little power as well. Anderson and Hackett were firm supporters of him, they had been allies of his for a long time and given all that they had done with him, they believed in the existence of the Reapers, that the galaxy needed to prepare.

Unfortunately, that didn't count for much with the rest of the admiralty; sure, the two were highly respected, but the threat of the Reapers was much downplayed by the rest, not to mention by most elected officials. For one they still didn't want to believe in the danger being so great, for another they didn't want to cause a panic among the people by even looking into it. As such Michael's continued vocalising of the threat was not only annoying, but seen as a danger to public order.

Michael had known this, as had Anderson and Hackett, and they had in their many meetings agreed that Michael was the only one who should argue about this, he was already a rogue agent and a problem, but the others could be seriously compromised if they became too problematic to the rest of their colleagues. Still, everyone knew of Anderson's ties to Michael, and as such he had been forced to recuse himself from the board of Admirals and Generals set to preside over Michael's trial. Hackett on the other hand had been more quietly removed from the proceedings, with so many Admirals away from their jobs they had voted for _him_ to be in charge of the fleets while the trial was under way, an obvious plot to remove any support for Michael when he presented his arguments about the Reapers.

For that was the cutting issue, the part that put Michael at a distance from every man and woman that would be on the board, judging him. For _months _he had argued with them, getting more and more frustrated by their _refusal_ to admit any and all evidence he had for the Reapers, for demanding that he won't mention them or try to 'push his agenda' during the trial. Still, the Alliance was allied with Michael in one respect, that they wanted to prevent a war from breaking out with the Batarians, that they wanted the current diplomatic issue gone.

Their indoctrinated agents over in the Bahak system, now all dead, were an easy problem. None of them had been registered as Alliance soldiers, not even as citizens, as such there was room for denial. Even all the shipping of material to build the base and thrusters for the asteroid that had been sent into the mass Relay could be explained by referring to smuggling, much had been sent via Omega, after all...

That left Michael, but the Alliance was loathe to lose or further discredit their first human Spectre, especially after he had stopped the Collector attacks on the colonies and handed over both himself and the Normandy, all of which had raised his standing in the public's eye. As such, surrendering him to the Batarians would be a disaster in terms of public relations, something the Alliance after their inaction against the Collector attacks could ill afford.

Not that Michael could put too much faith into the Alliance wish to keep him around, if push came to shove, he fully expected them to sacrifice him to contain the situation. Not to mention that the financial backbone of the Alliance, the mega-corporations, were not too happy with him, he had damaged quite a few of them during his hunt for Saren three years ago. Exogeni in particular had suffered heavily, and while not directly responsible, they gladly blamed Michael for it all. Still, while the Alliance income depended on these mega-corporations, most Admirals were loathe to let them dictate Alliance politics in a direct matter.

All in all, his alliance with the Alliance was much like it was with Cerberus, uneasy at best.

Michael wasn't completely powerless though. While he had no backing from any financial muscles – the Illusive Man had been surprisingly quiet as of late – or political powers that hadn't been neutralized, he _did_ have his name. Even when it was revealed he was working with Cerberus, people had still loved him for his actions during the battle for the Citadel, and when it was confirmed that his alliance with Cerberus was to actively combat the terrorising Collectors...then his popularity had soared.

With that in mind, Michael had managed to get large groups within the public to push for preparations against the Reapers – the Alliance might not like it, but they couldn't completely silence him – those groups might not do it out of a firm belief in it as much as due to hero-worship, but as long as they pushed for what was needed, Michael couldn't complain. He also had the ear of _many_ journalists, and it was impossible for _any_ government to _completely_ silence the message he had them broadcasting. Not to mention that with Liara ideally placed as the Shadow Broker, the evidence the Alliance was refusing to admit into the trial had snuck its way into quite a few mediums that the governments of the galaxy had hoped to keep it out of.

He also had his Spectre position and was owed quite a few favours by various races and organisations, which he had chosen to remind the Alliance of by accepting Eluni, representing the mighty Asari, as his lawyer.

The mere _thought_ of it made Michael smile. He might not have the support of those that he needed, or gotten the militaries of the galaxy mobilising, but for the first time in what felt like a lifetime he was being _believed_, he was making _headway_...it was a glimmer of hope that he clung to with the desperation of a drowning man.

Hell, Anderson and Hackett had even used the increased tensions with the Batarians to push for increasing the Alliance fleet, having managed to squeeze out the construction of a pair of cruisers despite others shouting about a poor budget...

The trial was just another step in his campaign to prepare the galaxy, it might be damage control for both him and the Alliance to stop a war with the Batarians, but it was also another avenue to forward the danger of the Reapers to the galaxy through those reporters that would have gained access to the trial.

It was a lot of work, and it was _tiring_. He missed Garrus, he missed Liara, _Tali_, all those he had grown to love and cherish...

But that was also what kept him going. For while his hatred of the Reapers was what drove him onwards to do all he did, it was his love for all those had come to know that rooted him into the world, who kept him focused and from being consumed by his hatred. Knowing they were out there, fighting the same fight, wanting to see him again, it gave him hope for a better tomorrow_._

With all that mind, Michael's steps didn't betray a hint of his weariness as he marched through the large doors and into the courtroom.

It was an impressive sight. Large and oval in shape, its vaulted ceiling was high enough to make the crystal lamps above seem like twinkling stars, illuminating a ceiling that was one great painting with biblical undertones in its depiction of various historical figures. The walls were softly curved and a pale grey, most of them were covered by banners hanging from the ceiling, banners bearing the Alliance symbol, making it abundantly clear what law ruled in the chamber.

To his left and right, bleachers of dark wood rose up to envelope half the room's walls, the many available benches rising higher and higher to allow those at the back to look over those at those further up front.

Which was sorely needed, for _every_ seat was taken. Looking around himself, Michael was not surprised to find dozens of hovering camcorders taking in his every movement as the journalists allowed into the trial struggled not to ask him questions they weren't allowed to ask now that he was in the courtroom. Michael smiled softly, well aware that the Alliance wouldn't let the recordings and notes the reporters made go uncensored, but also aware that they couldn't stop his message entirely.

Unfortunately, journalists were not the only ones who had managed to secure a spot within the trial. A large number were businessmen and high-ranking officers of the Alliance, neither group had much love for Michael. The businessmen were either vultures – hoping for a conviction so they could feel secure in suing him for whatever real or imagined thing he had done during his many missions to upset their business – or vengeful types who simply wanted to see him hang. Michael wasn't sure which type he hated more. As to the high-ranking officers Michael had found that while the majority of the Alliance military were vocal supporters of him, that majority resided among the lower ranks, those with any good number of stripes on their shoulders either remembered his despicable acts on Elysium, or simply embraced the culture the admiralty had grown, that he was a troublemaker.

Still, there were bright spots among all the self-interest, anger and tabloid-journalism.

To his right, Emily Wong sat, the dark haired woman smiling at him, eagerly awaiting the next exclusive interview he had promised her. Given how she was eager for more, she was also one of his closest allies among the journalists, one who dared pushing the envelope for what she was allowed to report. Michael offered her a friendly nod, making the nearest other reporter deflate, apparently seeing his ability to compete for ratings disappear.

To his left, Anderson sat, the dark-skinned man looking somewhat haggard. It was not surprising, between having to politically battle with the Council, Udina , the admiralty, Michael's trial and trying not to be overwhelmed by the fear of the Reapers and how inactive the rest of the galaxy was in preparing for it, the man was shouldering quite a burden. He still smiled as he and Michael exchanged a nod though, showing that he was far from done.

_We can do this_.

Feeling some of his tiredness lift Michael strode forward with growing confidence, he might be surrounded by mostly hostile or uncaring people, but a few bright spots right from the start was more than what he _usually_ got to start with in a struggle...it gave him hope.

Ahead, a rectangular table with two uncomfortable-looking chairs – which they _were_, Michael recalled – stood in the centre of the chamber. All made of the same dark wood as the bleachers, the table and chairs looked painfully solitary surrounded by the far grander furniture around them, making it look as if the rest of the room was gazing down on them. As Michael approached them, he couldn't help but remember one of Harbinger's many taunts. "_And now you stand alone_..."

"Did you say something?" Eluni's question brought Michael out of his thoughts.

Not having realised he'd spoken the words aloud, Michael shook his head as he moved to grasp the back of one of the chairs, his eyes moving up to the imposing piece of furniture ahead. The dark desk at the far end of the room was curved inwards due to its width and high enough to make the four women and six men seated behind it loom over the chamber like the kings of old. All ten of them were Admirals or Generals of the Alliance, powerful men and women whose neutral looks hid a worry for what the result of the trial would be.

Behind the admirals, a large window covered most of the wall, showing an impressive view of the Vancouver harbour and the gardens the Alliance had nurtured with such care. Michael shot the view a glare, as he had the last time he'd been in the courtroom. The Alliance might have prettied up their corner of Earth, as had every major nation, but Michael knew his own birthplace was still a smog-filled dump, easily ignored by those with the means to live like one _should_ in the twenty-second century...the mere thought of more people going through what he had gone through while others lived in luxury made him grit his teeth.

_God, how I hate Earth_... It wasn't so much the planet, or even the disproportion in wealth within it, but the memories of his life there, that haunted Michael and made him want to leave. _I'll be glad once this is over_.

Pushing aside his irrational anger, Michael sat down, his eyes instead moving towards the source of the worried air within the courtroom. To the left of the admiralty, sitting atop a desk that was far smaller, yet just as high as their seats, the Batarian diplomat sat.

Garat looked as brutal as any Batarian mercenary Michael had met, despite wearing an unadorned, yet still somewhat stylish, uniform of pale leather. With his hands placed on the desk before him, he was leaning ever so slightly forward, all four eyes unblinking as he fixed them on Michael, the hostility emanating from him clear as day. Michael felt a hint of fear under that gaze, not so much for the Batarian himself, Michael had faced enough of his kind, but because that angry Batarian was the one peace hung upon. If Garat gave the word, the Hegemony would attack the Alliance, something neither side would gain from once the Reapers appeared.

_And he wants blood...not exactly the best way to start diplomatic manoeuvring_. Michael sighed inwardly, he was _tired_ of the diplomatic game, he was _tired_ of having to compromise with the very people he was trying to save, yet what else could he do?_ At least his inability to get in contact with his government might work in our favour_...

Michael wasn't actually sure of that, he didn't know exactly what instructions they had given Garat, but given that he wasn't shy of making aggressive claims, they weren't good from Michael's point of view. Would a lack of new instructions temper Garat and make him more cautious? Michael eyed the glaring Batarian a second time, his heart sinking. _I doubt it_...

"Order, order." The central Admiral, a man named Hood – who so far had dominated the previous court sessions – called out, gavel striking his desk, instantly silencing the soft murmur of conversations across the courtroom. "I hereby open the fourth session of the state versus Michael Shepard, accused of acts of terrorism on Batarian territory. We-"

"And what of the Hegemony versus Alliance? You feel like leaving it out of the trial?" Garat interrupted with a growl, earning him a near hundred glares from the people within the courtroom, glares he answered with a defiant one of his own, despite being alone in Alliance space, the Batarian diplomat had not _once_ shown himself in any way intimidated. _A shame he's an enemy_...

Hood was a calm admiral though, and offered the Batarian an even look as he rested his elbows on his desk. "We closed that case, sir, if you remember? Amanda Kenson and her associates were not Alliance citizens and, their material was stolen goods. As such the Alliance can't be held responsible for their actions, nor punish them since they are dead. Or does the Hegemony offer new evidence?"

"You know fully well that we don't." Garat grumbled, four eyes narrowing in suspicion, apparently still thinking that the Alliance was responsible for his communication problems, which for all Michael knew, he might be right to. "Well, get on with it." Michael nearly blinked, surprised that Garat was willing to drop the subject so swiftly, he had struck Michael as more stubborn than that. _Maybe he's intent on focusing on me, rather than the Alliance_? _That would be good_. Michael ignored Eluni's worried look. He was set on his path; if Garat put all his efforts into nailing Michael to the wall, he would welcome it, anything that stopped weakening the galaxy with another war when the Reapers were coming was welcome.

However, Michael wasn't about to simply wait for the Batarian to make his move, he too had his agenda. "Amanda Kenson and her team were the ones preparing the asteroid and sent it towards the Relay." It was a lie, but if Michael was going to make the indoctrination defence and redirection of blame easier to swallow for Garat, he couldn't claim that they were trying to _stop_ the destruction of the Bahak system. "As I've stated earlier, they were indoctrinated by the Reapers and their goal was to weaken one of the larger military powers in the galaxy. Sadly, they succeeded" Eluni patted his knee at the last words. To him it seemed a bit too obvious to cater to the Batarian pride like that, but Eluni knew what she was doing, so who was Michael to argue?

There was a murmur, not all pleased, behind him. The admirals still retained their neutral looks, but they were somewhat more strained. Garat, on the other hand, was more open in his irritation. "Again, you claim this madness! Indoctrination by some spaceships from beyond the galaxy? Pah!" The Batarian spat at the floor, making the Admiral closest to him cringe back in disgust. "And how _convenient_ that the only people guilty in such a scenario are the dead who can't defend themselves! Just like my _people_ couldn't defend themselves at the blast from the Relay!"

Michael couldn't help but flinch, remembering all too well how he had watched the fading dot of the Bahak system on the galaxy map, knowing he had just wiped out over three hundred thousand people. He had known it was worth it, he _still_ did...but that didn't make the guilt of so many killed easier to bear. Eluni rose from her seat though, distracting the glaring Garat from Michael's guilty reaction. "What's convenient is hardly the topic so much as what's the _truth_. If the Batarian representative wishes to disprove our version of what's true or not, he's welcome to it, but I would be loathe to defend my client from accusations of conspiracies with no foundation in evidence nor witnesses."

There were a few applauds at that. Eluni had become somewhat popular in the courtroom, the fact that she was something as exotic as an Asari, as for the way she was defending Michael, a hero in the eyes of the public, from a Batarian – a villain – and his venomous words. Hood's gavel hit the desk, stopping the claps instantly as he sternly spoke to everyone. "I will not have this turn into a show, settle down." He turned his gaze upon Garat. "The defence attorney has a point though, do you have some sort of evidence for your claims?"

"You know fully well that I don't!" Garat hissed through his teeth, eyes blazing with fury. "Everyone but Shepard _died_ in that system, how could I bring the testimony of the dead to bear on him?" His glare shot over the crowd, a hint of pain behind his eyes as he spoke. "And I swear, the Hegemony will have the next one clapping _killed_, you would _never_ clap for someone defending a person who'd killed every person in a _human_ system..."

Silence.

A few in the crowd shuffled where they sat, either frightened by the threat, or feeling guilty by Garat pointing out their hypocrisy. Hood, however, was ever the calm judge. "We do not allow threats in this courtroom, Mr Garat." He turned his gaze to the crowd. "That said, nor do we allow disrespectful behaviour toward the living _or_ dead, I trust people will remember this."

Eluni looked less than intimidated though. "This does not change the fact that my client has no evidence levied against him, save a recording made by the Batarian Hegemony, can we hear it again?"

Whoever did the tech-work in another room instantly played the recording, making the words Michael remembered saying into the communicator as the asteroid hurtled for the Relay fill the room. "All inhabitants of the Bahak system, this is Michael Shepard, I implore you to leave the system this instant before it is destroyed, I repeat, this _instance_! It's a matter of life and death!"

The stress was clear in his voice, it was sincere, pressed and hurried...a few hushed conversations started in the wake of it, but quieted as Eluni confidently spoke up. "While the Hegemony has tried to show this as evidence of Shepard's guilt, I must state that what Shepard obviously is trying to do on the recording is trying to _save_ people. Or is _failing_ to save someone now a crime?"

Michael grimaced, Eluni's words making Saren's words back on Virmire echo within his mind. _You have failed_! _You failed back on Earth_! _ You failed on Elysium_! _You failed on Eden Prime_! _On_ _Feros_!_ You failed here_!_ You have failed everyone that you've ever met_! With a growl, Michael shook his head, hand coming up to rub his temple as he tried to focus on Garat's words. "But he was _there_!"

Part of Hood's neutral look faded as he sighed, hand coming up to rub his face. "Make your case Garat, _today_, please."

"Shepard's call came _minutes_ after the asteroid began to accelerate towards the Relay, an _obvious_ attempt to cover up his guilt, and he was the _only_ one surviving the explosion. A _human,_ associated with a pro-human _terrorist_ organisation, is the _one_ survivor of a blast wiping out a _Batarian_ system!" Garat snapped, now rising in from his seat to better glare down at those surrounding him. "I will not pretend Batarians and humans get along! But humans pride themselves on their idea of _justice_! Of how you are morally superior to us! I see _no_ justice here!" He pointed a shaking finger at Michael, making a few in the public jerk back in fright. "How can you _protect_ him!"

Silence.

"Again, you are simply stating coincidences." Eluni calmly replied, her tone even. "Shepard's previous associations are not part of this hearing, and with no tangible proof of his actions, justice demands that you let him go."

"That is _not_ acceptable!" Garat shouted, then stopped as Hood too rose, the Admiral glaring at the Batarian.

"Mr Garat, when I called for order, I meant that for all involved, _sit down_." The man spoke calmly, without anger, but it was abundantly clear that disobeying would have the diplomat thrown out, war or not.

With a grunt, the Batarian sat down, glaring at Michael as the court slowly settled down from his outburst.

"_Shepard_..."

Michael blinked at the whisper, turning his head to Eluni, wondering what she was planning this time. "Yes?"

The Asari blinked at him, looking bewildered as she quietly replied. "What?"

"You said my name."

The Asari arched a brow. "No, sorry, I didn't, now _focus_."

Irritated, Michael looked back to the Batarian, finding the diplomats four eyes narrowed as he looked down at his desk, thinking the situation over.

_This is it_...

"_Shepard_..."

_What the_...? Michael turned around, looking around himself in confusion, yet though many were looking at him, none could have been the one who had spoken._ Someone trying to be funny_? Michael found his eyes narrowing, surprised by the anger suddenly flooding his veins as he clenched his fists shut. _I'm trying to save you all and someone thinks to play a prank on me_...? A low growl escaped him.

Garat's voice pulled his attention back to what was going on though, the Batarian's voice a low, but threatening, rumble. "The Batarian Hegemony will _not_ accept the Alliance washing their hands of this act of mass-murder, nor their continued attempts to protect the criminal in their midst." Looking up, Garat glared at Michael as he spoke. "If the Alliance does not give up this criminal to be tried and punished by the Batarian Hegemony, and gives up a system as compensation to the Hegemony, there _will_ be _war_."

Instantly, the courtroom became filled with voices. Protests, whispers, curses and insults were flung about, the storm of emotions suddenly breaking free impossible to stop for Admiral Hood, no matter how many times he slammed his gavel into the desk.

Up ahead, Garat was still glaring at Michael, unheeding of the two Admirals who had taken it upon themselves to argue with him. The other Admirals had also risen, but to better shout at the crowd behind Michael to stay seated and quiet down. Next to him, Michael could hear Eluni trying to make her voice heard, still trying to protect her client through legal ways even as the politics of the Hegemony showed that that path was impossible.

_Damn you, damn you all to hell_. Michael's glare moved from Garat to all the foolish Admirals, none of them seeing further than the immediate interest of the Alliance... _All_ _of_ _you_. He rose to his feet, straightening his back, feeling oddly liberated as he was forced to forge his own path, to finally get rid of the pretences and foolish attempts at diplomacy. "I plead guilty."

He had spoken clearly but not loudly, yet with him being in the middle of the room, his words were amplified enough to carry above the din of useless chatter.

Instantly, everyone went quiet.

Letting his gaze move over the Admirals, Michael could see them resume their neutral looks, yet he could still sense that they were pleased with the result, him pleading guilty meant that they had done all they could to protect him, avoiding both a scandal with the public as well as war with the Batarians. Like with the Council, they were all too happy to do nothing while Michael did what was needed to be done. _Pathetic, none of you are worth the uniform you wear_.

Still silent, Michael let his gaze move over to Garat, calmly meeting the Batarian's glare. _A mad dog, if I didn't need your kind and your fleet I'd rather do without your entire race_... "I entered the asteroid in question, killed Amanda Kenson and her crew, powered the asteroid into the Relay, therefore killing every living thing there, before making my escape."

The hushed silence endured as Garat narrowed his eyes at Michael in suspicion, not sure how to respond as Michael continued. "I did this with Cerberus assistance to sabotage Alliance-Hegemony relations and start a war. Now, however, I have come to my senses and wish to confess to my glorious deed. I and Cerberus is your enemy, Batarian scum, not the meek Alliance."

The words sounded hollow, not in the least convincing, but they didn't have to, it was a confession, and it made targeting the Alliance as an enemy impossible for the Batarians.

And apparently, Garat found it good enough to be given Michael, his lips splitting to reveal a cruel grin as he held Michael's steady gaze.

"Well..." Hood muttered, trying to regain some of that order he and his pathetic ilk so desperately craved. "...I suppose that means-"

"Shepard." Eluni grabbed Michael's arm, making him tense up as the bubbling anger in his gut shot up through his body. "Don't do it, it's stupid to-"

"Shut up, you useless bitch!" Michael snarled and pulled his arm free, his words drawing a large gasp from the people around him. _What did I just say_...? Michael couldn't stop himself though, glaring at the Asari as more words poured out. "I have met exactly _one_ useful person of your kind, and it isn't _you_!"

"Shepard that's quite enough-"

_Anger_.

"And _you_!" Michael spun round, pointing an accusing finger at Admiral Hood, stopping him mid sentence. "You and your precious ilk are another waste of space! Where was the Alliance when the Geth were pressing on your borders! Where was the Alliance when the Collectors emptied entire colonies! Where was the Alliance when I gathered trove after trove of evidence about the impending Reaper invasion! You've _never_ been of _any_ help and you expect me to throw myself on my sword to save you! _Fine_! But there _will_ be a reckoning, I promise you that!"

_Hate_.

"And _you_!" Michael's finger flicked over the the chuckling Batarian, silencing the sound with a glare. "Your kind are nothing but bullies who shoot anyone in your path and even treat your _own_ people like dirt! And then you expect us to _respect_ you! To do anything but let you rot in your end of the galaxy! Go to _hell_! I predict nothing but the _annihilation_ of the entire Batarian race when the Reapers arrive! And you know what? I think it'll be _better_ for it!"

_Rage_!

"_All_ of you!" Michael spun, accusing finger moving to point at everyone staring at him in shock, not really seeing anyone, just a blur of _idiocy_. "You are _all_ narrow-minded fools! Unwilling to see the truth! Unwilling to _act_! Unwilling to open your eyes and try to do something about your fate!" Someone was shouting at him, but he couldn't make out the words. "Why do I even try to defend you all when you refuse to be helped! I hope you'll all _burn_ when the Reapers come!"

Someone screamed.

Whirling about, Michael's hands flew up to his head even before he looked out the window, _agony_ shooting through it, making his eyes open wide as a blaring resounded through his skull, a blaring he could _understand_. "**Shepard, we have come**..."

A Reaper, taller than the nearest skyscraper, landed in the harbour, one leg cleaving a ship in two.

In the distance, more of the giant ships were landing, monstrous vessels whose legs bore down buildings even as their energy weapons tore through streets and houses as if they were butter.

_No_...

Michael slowly lowered his hands, staring out the window like the rest of the people in the room.

In the harbour, the nearby Reaper turned, legs kicking ships in the water to pieces as it turned towards him, as if _knowing_ he was there...

_I just needed a little more time_...

The hull of the Reaper moved, revealing a red orb of light within it, charging up. "**You have failed**."

_No_!

Suddenly animated, Michael kicked the table over and grabbed Eluni's hand as he dropped into a crouch. "Get down!" She tried to tug her hand away-

And then the world exploded.

Grip tightening on Eluni's hand, Michael kept his head down, eyes squeezing shut as the heat of the Reaper beam washed over him, accompanied by the clattering of glass hitting stone.

A moment later he opened his eyes, finding pieces of broken wood and pebbles of stone raining over him from the powerful blast.

As well as Eluni's hand, shorn off at the wrist, in his hands.

Throwing the limb aside, Michael tried to spot the Asari, but where she had stood nothing but a scorch mark remained, her side of the table completely annihilated by the blast.

_Dead_.

Michael risked a glance over the remains of his table, finding the massive desk of the admiralty shattered, what little remaining looking like the bones of a sunken ship. A few charred body parts lay here and there, what little remained of the Admirals themselves. Garat's desk had been toppled and was on fire, the Batarian himself gurgling as he vainly tried to pry a large piece of glass out of his chest while being pinned under the desk, its fire having already caught hold of his boots and now cooking his dying body.

_Good as dead_.

Snarling, Michael whipped his head around, his anger only mounting, now mixing with guilt, as he found the bleachers on fire. Many of the people there had survived, but most were wounded or pinned under debris, unable to escape the flames now making them cry out in terror and agony. And those who had escaped had already fled._ Useless, just as I said_. Michael shook his head, his sudden headache making him dizzy. _Stop thinking like that, it's not helping anyone_.

"Shepard!" Looking back up, Michael felt the anger and dizziness being pushed back as relief flooded him at the sight of Anderson limping towards him, the Admiral was covered in gore and his left leg was bleeding, but he was alive. _Alive_ and _angry_. "We need to get to the Normandy, get weapons."

"Agreed." Michael snapped. "We should head outside, a Reaper ray can be dodged, but a falling building is more difficult." He nearly chuckled all of a sudden, remembering his final confrontation with Sovereign._ Can't believe I'm speaking from experience there_...

"Then let's go." Anderson reached back and whipped out a predator pistol, making Michael arch an eyebrow at him. To his surprise, the Admiral looked a bit embarrassed as he turned his head away and shrugged. "Considered breaking you out of the trial...for old times sake."

Grinning, Michael patted Anderson's shoulder before beginning to jog through the great hole where the window had once been. "Just like old times."

8

8

8

_Thanks to the lovely Abydos for always taking the time for anything I throw at her._


	3. Chapter 3

_Eugh_..._my_ _head_.

Grunting, Kaidan sat up, the taste of copper in his mouth. The small bunk he had improvised within the newly constructed War Room was uncomfortable, but he had been too exhausted to go to the crew quarters after a thorough search of the room that sported such an annoying number of corners and hiding spots. Of course, given that the Normandy part was renovated, the risk of Cerberus bugs was minimal, but Kaidan was nothing if not thorough.

At the moment though, duty was far from his mind. _Brain still_ _screaming_..._great_.

Kaidan knew his migraines due the L-two implants were bad, but the newest one was one of the worst he had ever had, and it had been going on intermittently for _days_...

Kaidan could feel that it was soon over, that it was reaching its peak before it would die off, but that was a small comfort at the moment, in particular since he would have been on edge even _without_ the migraine.

His head was throbbing, making him feel as if the entire ship was shaking, and as he cradled his head in his hands, Kaidan took deep breaths, trying to calm his mind as fading images of his latest nightmare flickered before his mind.

James might complain, and Kaidan suspected the marine was _right_ about there being no more Cerberus bugs on the ship, but Kaidan would take no chances with a ship Anderson intended to personally use in a future war against the Reapers. For James hadn't seen what Kaidan had seen, he hadn't seen just how horrifyingly _wrong_ Cerberus was.

For Kaidan had investigated Cerberus thoroughly on orders from Anderson, and what he had found had _sickened_ him.

Horizon, anti-air guns sabotaged by Cerberus infiltrators to aid the Collectors gain access...and Kaidan didn't _dare_ ask Shepard if the man had known about it – and if so, if he had approved – out of fear of the answer. The Citadel, cooperation with the mobster Kelham in smuggling in high-quality weapons and assassinating alien politicians. Those things, they were the _easy_ things to swallow.

But then there had been the secret bases Kaidan had found in his search. Small bases, smaller than the ones he had helped Shepard take out in what felt like a lifetime since, but was only three years ago. There had been the Ardat Yakshi, according to the papers killed nearly a year ago, dissected even as they kept her head alive, studying her brain as they toyed with her unique nervous system, her eyes begging for death when Kaidan had entered. There had been the high-ranking Batarian from the Hegemony, so badly tortured it had taken days after being saved before he could _speak_. There had been the Asari foetuses, held in glass tanks to study their biotic growth before being 'disposed' of...the Salarian eggs exposed to various animals to see which gladly ate of them...the Krogan prisoner, skinned to see what poison would stop him regenerating his wounds.

And so many more...

Then Kaidan had been called to be in charge of escorting Shepard back to Earth...and he had felt sick to the stomach at the thought of his former Commander even knowing of _one_ of those incidents.

Worst of all, Kaidan couldn't even _ask_.

He had been naïve at first, borrowing a diplomat's office to report his findings to Anderson...minutes later he had been fighting for his life against an entire group of assassins. He had ended up killing them and the diplomat, as well as gotten two Hanar killed in the crossfire, creating a major 'political shitstorm', as Udina had named it. Kaidan had become more careful after that, done some tracking...and been horrified at what he had found.

Cerberus had its claws all over the Alliance. C-sec officers, Admirals, administrators, politicians and even _gardeners_...from high to low there were Cerberus agents, watching, reporting, _scheming_...it was enough to make even the most level-headed person paranoid. Kaidan had also once gotten a hold of a list of incomes Cerberus had, unfortunately there were no senders given, but it had been solitary individuals donating _billions_, meaning some of the richest and most influential humans there was could be backing the organisation.

And now the Normandy, just recently the Cerberus _flagship_, was in Vancouver, the administrative _heart_ of the Alliance. And Michael Shepard, Commander turned Cerberus, was held there, with ready access to some of the highest ranking Alliance officers there _was_...it was enough to make anyone lose sleep.

Not that Kaidan thought Michael a traitor, not _really_. He had been honest on Horizon, he had forgiven Michael for Ashley's death and for all that had happened. Or so he _hoped_, he still felt a sting of bitterness whenever he saw the man, which was why he'd rather let James handle the actual _guarding_ of the prisoner. The fact that Kaidan had duties in training future biotic commandos meant it was a good delegation of work as well.

That said, forgiving Michael was one thing, to believe he had nothing but a minor alliance of convenience with Cerberus and wasn't their agent, another. Kaidan thought it _unlikely_ that Shepard was still with them though, considering his best friend was Turian and his lover a Quarian, but Kaidan hadn't survived his investigation of the powerful terrorist organisation by making assumptions.

Yet Kaidan couldn't even _investigate_ Shepard, all his actions were classified since he was a Spectre, and not even the admiralty was willing to give him much of what they knew...which only furthered Kaidan's fears that Cerberus was protecting the man. _But if so,_ _why_!

Kaidan groaned, rubbing his eyes, the world refusing to stop shaking. _Wait_..._it_ _is_ _shaking_!

Bolting upright, Kaidan's eyes opened wide in shock as he found the ship moving, loose cables overhead swinging as if a giant had picked up the ship and was now rocking it back and forth like a crying child. "James, on your feet!"

At the other end of the War Room, the soldier rolled to face away from Kaidan as he pulled the cover of his own bedding closer to his chin, voice a sleepy mumble. "Callar, puto..." Annoyed, Kaidan let his biotics flare up...and a stray clipboard on the floor hurtled into the back of the marine's head. "Hey! _Ouch_!" The man awakened, rubbing the back of his head with an angry look on his face, a face still smudged by the oil from when he had crawled through the Normandy maintenance ducts.

"On your feet, soldier, _move_!" To his credit, now awakened, James moved like lightning. Bolting to his feet the marine went for his trousers hanging on a railing, eyes wide as an alarm rang out throughout the ship.

Kaidan grimaced, the howling alarm not doing his migraine any favours, but he had little control over either problem, so he chose to ignore them and instead focus on what was important. _Better get to the bridge_. Jumping into his own trousers, Kaidan ignored his boots as he instead ran for the door, the obstacle opening before he got even close to let him through. "What's going on!"

Ignoring James' question – considering he couldn't know more than the marine, it was a stupid question anyway – Kaidan skidded over a cold floor as he turned left, running past the glassed debriefing room and through another swiftly opening door. The security checkpoint passed in a blur, in fact, the blue light of the scanner made Kaidan stagger as he passed them, the way it teased his optic nerve making the migraine spike, drawing a pained moan from him as he stumbled through the next door.

Shaking his head and doubling over, hands moving up to rub his temple, Kaidan drew a deep breath, trying to regain control of his senses and stop himself from throwing up._ I don't have time for this_.

"Sir, what's going on?" Specialist Traynor spoke up as she arrived from the elevator, the woman's worried look turning to one of fright as she saw his face. "Dear God! Are you okay!"

"I'm fine, get to your post, set the ship to red alert!" Kaidan gasped the words, not really doing a good job about proving the 'fine' part, but at least Traynor obeyed, her hands shaking as she bent over her console by the galaxy map. "Joker!" Kaidan caught sight of the pilot slowly wobbling the final feet to the ship controls, and hurried after him. "Talk to me! What's the situation!"

Kaidan had never been in favour of the pilot remaining on the Normandy.

Shepard might have been rebuilt by Cerberus and as such felt he 'owed' them his help, but Joker had _willingly_ joined them before. Who was to say he still didn't work for them in some respect? Was it wise to keep him on one of the most advanced ships in the fleet? Yet Anderson had given strict orders about the pilot being confined to the ship until Shepard's hearing was over and done with. Perhaps he figured the best human pilot in existence could be turned back into a _proper_ Alliance soldier. And Kaidan, no matter how he rated those chances, obeyed orders, it was all that separated him from rogue forces like Shepard, after all.

"Well, let's see." Joker replied, voice loud to carry over the alarm as with a carefulness that didn't seem to fit the tense situation he, sat down in the pilot's seat. "We've got this big whooping sound I can feel in my very bones, the ship is shaking, oh and now we have red lights flashing within her...so either this is the worst disco ever or we have a bit of a crisis on our hands."

The swinging red lights moving in the ceiling didn't much help Kaidan's headache, but by focusing his eyes on the so far blocked wind-shield, he managed to regain control of it. He also chose to ignore Joker's attempt to be funny at what could well be a crisis. _Terrorists_?_ Batarians trying to kill Shepard_? _Cerberus trying to get him out_? "Open the shutters."

Joker's hands moved over the now lit controls to obey the order even as James came stomping after Kaidan, the marine cradling an Avenger rifle, almost looking _eager_ to fight. "What do we got, Books?"

Kaidan frowned, he had _told_ James to lay off with the nickname, and the marine had obeyed, but apparently he now forgot about that as he sensed a battle ahead. The fact that Kaidan did things by the book was no secret, nor was he ashamed of it, but that didn't mean he appreciated being summarized with that one word. But as with Joker, he chose to ignore it, it was unreasonable to expect perfect behaviour during stressful situations. "I don't know, Joker's just opening the shutters to..."

The three men gasped, eyes widening.

Kaidan's mouth moved, sluggishly, unable to fully close as he felt the world spin out of control. "...have a look..."

_Sovereign_...? _No, Sovereign's dead_..._which_ _means_..._God_ _no_...

Kaidan had known the Reapers would one day come, but it had always felt distant and surreal, like something that would happen far in the future, not a tangible threat with Cerberus, Batarians and other scum causing so much _real_ pain the galaxy. Yet what Kaidan now saw before him...it was _very_ real, and utterly terrifying.

"Querido dios..." James muttered, a clack escaping his Avenger as he dropped it to the floor.

The Alliance headquarters was on fire – two Reapers, smaller than Sovereign but still massive – were climbing it, ruby lasers and black claws tearing entire sections of it apart in an almost lazy fashion, as if they had all the time in the world while what had to be an entire platoon were unloading missiles and machine-gun fire at them.

Over in the harbour an even larger Reaper walked, using its claws to cleave ships in half or blow them apart with its many lasers. Even further off, dozens upon _dozens_ of Reapers had landed, their alien silhouettes in stark contrast to the skyscrapers they walked amongst or even _dwarfed_.

Amongst them, what seemed like asteroids were raining down upon the ground. Yet from the dust of the impact small shapes appeared, firing shots at people, people firing back here and there, but mostly running, or _dying_.

_It's a full out invasion_...

Even as Kaidan watched, the Normandy was attached to the dry-dock of a spaceport now buzzing with activity as ships tried to take off. Yet the Normandy _couldn't_ take off, its hull locked fast by docking clamps made to ensure no escape attempt could succeed from it. _This_ _is_ _bad_. Looking over to the control tower, Kaidan spotted the unmistakable shapes of husks climbing the walls to it and already there were lights of gunfire appearing through its windows. _This is __really__ bad_.

"Alenko, Joker, _anyone_, come in!" The familiar voice of Anderson coming through the com-link of the ship made Kaidan jump, but then feel a fresh surge of hope as the Admiral spoke. "I have Shepard with me, we're at the harbour and need evac, copy!"

Leaning forward, Kaidan, being the senior officer, spoke up before Joker could respond. "This is Alenko, we copy! We'll get to you as soon as we can, out!" Turning to Joker, now feeling more in control when they had a goal, Kaidan gave his order as calmly as he could, trying to put some calm back into the cockpit. "Joker, contact the control tower, order them to release our docking clamps."

"On it." The pilot replied without complaint, his hands moving over the controls for but a moment before he spoke, his voice almost as calm as if he was just taxing out for a pleasure trip. "This is pilot Moreau of the Normandy, Major Alenko has ordered our docking clamps released, copy."

Silence greeted him.

"Vancouver control, this is the Normandy, release our docking clamps, copy?" Joker once more spoke, shuffling in his seat, worried.

As was _Kaidan_.

Turning his head back to look at the control tower, Kaidan felt a cold shiver run down his spine. The windows of the tower were shattered, a few husks climbing out of it and towards a distant firefight, but most importantly, there was no sign of any fighting people left in the tower itself, all were dead. _God no_... He shook himself. _Right, if I go out there I might be able_...

With a thump, the docking clamps released.

_What_ _the_...? Turning his head to look down at Joker in surprise, he found the pilot having a poorly hidden look of mischief on his face. "Uh...guess a survivor heard my call?"

"Right." Kaidan shook his suspicions aside, there was no point in fighting at a time like this. "Make for Anderson's communicator...and try to avoid getting into a fight with any...any..." _Say_ _it_. "...Reapers."

"I'll dance circles around them." Joker scoffed.

Then the Normandy hurtled forward, nearly instantly proving his words were not simple boasting.

8

8

8

_This is bad_.

He had no armour, no shields, the pistol he had scavenged from a dead guard had nearly no heat sinks.

Around him, Reapers were pounding buildings and defences into dust. Husks were _literally_ dropping from the skies, the burning pods bursting open in great blasts as all manner of creatures came running out to attack anyone within reach.

_This is __really__ bad_.

Yet Michael couldn't stop smiling.

He knew it was horrible, that all across the globe, _millions_ were dying or being dragged off by Reapers so intent on harvesting his species. He had also seen whole _hordes_ of husks with a striking resemblance to Batarians, which not only explained Garat's failure to contact his people, but also meant the Batarians were not only effectively out of the war, but that Michael had spent six _months_ trying to prevent a war that would never have happened anyway.

He knew all that, he knew he should be terrified, horrified, or at least angry and frustrated.

Yet none of it competed with the utter sense of _relief_ he now felt.

_They're finally here_!

_No more diplomacy_!

_No more trying to convince people who won't listen_!

_No more fighting alongside the few who believe_!

_We'll fight together, or we won't survive, they'll know it this time_! _They can't deny it_!

_Who cares if the situation is bad_! _Now I can finally tackle it with the might of __nations__ at my side_!_ I'll __finally__ have the help I need_!

Running up a fallen skyscraper that was slowly sinking into the harbour, Michael found a laugh bubbling out of him. _I'm free to fight without making nice with politicians any more_!

Next to him, Anderson was giving him a confused look, but Michael couldn't bring himself to care, especially since four Husks were climbing out of the shattered building and charging straight at the two men.

Left hand whipping out, Michael landed two shots in the chest and throat of the first one, laying it low with a thump before his heat sink finally failed.

Next to him, Anderson's own pistol barked four times, three of the shots catching the second Husk in the chest, the last hitting the third in the head...only for the creature to go on, leaping at Anderson despite lacking most of its cranium. The man caught its wrists though and twisted, throwing it to the floor before dropping his knee against its neck, choking the creature while holding down its flailing arms.

The fourth Husk leapt at Michael, batting his empty pistol aside as it went for his face...and Michael moved to meet it, his right fist lunging forth as his omni-tool recognised his mental command, the thin blade forged by the omni-tool shooting out just in time to meet the creature's neck.

Stepping to the side, Michael let the headless Husk stumble forward before tumbling to the floor. _Thanks_, _Tali_.

"Did you always have that ability in your omni-tool?" Looking over at a weakly smiling Anderson getting up from his slain Husk, Michael offered a smirk and a shrug, making Anderson laugh as he looked away. "And here I told them that leaving you with an omni-tool was harmless since you couldn't hack anything to save your life, who knew you could actually _hack_ with it...?"

Michael chuckled. "Well...Tali felt it needed an upgrade, that with me loving to punch things bigger than me."_ Tali, I'll see you again, I promise_... He shook off the sombre thought.

"Huh." Was all Anderson replied as the two continued to jog along what had once been a unblemished wall of a skyscraper, but now served as their improvised bridge to the other side of the harbour. "Anyway, we need you off Earth. With your knowledge of fighting the Reapers as well as your contacts with the Council and other organisations...not to mention your track record with impossible quests versus the Reapers." Anderson and Michael exchanged a smirk at that. "...you might be the only one with a chance of getting some sort of resistance going."

Michael nodded, a low growl escaping his throat as his good mood evaporated. "And I'll gather enough ships to shove down Harbinger's throat that the Reapers will _beg_ for the mercy they're so set on denying us."

"Whatever works." Anderson agreed. "Also, most of the admiralty just died, what remains of the leadership is in chaos, if we're to hold the Reapers here, we need an organised resistance, we need to make sure that when you land the hammer, the enemy is where you're swinging."

Michael slowed down, eyeing Anderson as his heart sank. "Sounds like you're volunteering to lead it..."

"You have a problem with that?" Anderson shot him a neutral look, though Michael could sense he was hiding behind the same mask the other Admirals had, concealing what he really felt.

_I don't want you to die_. _I have so few people I can trust left_. _You're what I'd wanted my father to be_. _You've done so much for me with nothing in return_. _I've always been able to be honest with you, I need that_._ You're the only one who'd believed in me from the start, even when I didn't deserve it_...

Michael turned his head away. "No." He cleared his throat. "It's a good plan."

"Good. Then we're in agreement." Anderson sounded a little disappointed.

Michael didn't glance at him to check though, instead he forced himself to look ahead, finding a slain Batarian husk laying on the ground, and two more bent over it, _feeding_ on it. "Eugh, I don't remember real Batarians being _cannibals_..."

"Kill them?" Anderson asked, knowing the answer.

Raising his remade omni-blade, the orange glow of it illuminating his face, Michael grinned.

"Kill them."

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being the level-headed of us._


	4. Chapter 4

"Ten seconds!"

Grunting at the sound of Joker's warning through the speakers, Kaidan wrenched at the strap, sealing the boot to his armour with moments to spare before straightening and raising his Avenger. Next to him, James had somehow managed to put on his far bulkier armour faster, and was already aiming down the ramp of the cargo hold. "Open the ramp!"

A hiss of hydraulics...and Kaidan was struck by a cold wind bringing with it the scent of ash and death as the ramp fell down. Ahead, the destruction they had first seen in the Normandy cockpit had somehow increased tenfold in as many minutes. The distant Alliance headquarters was now nothing but a smoking pile of rubble, the Reapers having moved on to new targets. The harbour was full of destroyed ships, as well as skyscrapers that had been knocked into the water like the logs of a dam.

In the distance, tracers were streaking through the air as heavy fire was being exchanged by sides that were practically standing on top of one another due to the Reaper assault. People were running to and fro, no idea where to go, looking like the ants of a disturbed anthill. Ants being killed in _droves_ as husks swarmed over them, a _flood_ of filth and violence sweeping through the streets as the invasion picked up momentum.

_It just looks so_..._surreal_.

Kaidan couldn't quite grasp it. Earth under attack? It hadn't happened even during the First Contact war...it was something one saw in movies or read in books, a plot device to invest the audience in what was going on...it wasn't something that happened for _real_!

Yet it _was_, and unlike the movies, there was no hope or heroes in sight, only fleeing people.

Only fear.

_Shepard_.

Kaidan caught sight of the man just in time to see him vault a broken girder, his foot catching a Batarian-looking husk in the face and sending it flying, pistol barking a trio of shots into the chest of another, his stony expression not revealing a hint of the panic that bubbled under Kaidan's discipline. Kaidan grimaced under his helmet. He wasn't exactly _jealous_ of Shepard, but seeing the man in action could make anyone feel inadequate, if not in skill, then at least in bravery.

Behind Shepard, Anderson was running, his once pristine uniform slashed open across the chest and splattered with blood. Even as Kaidan watched, a husk leapt upon the Admiral's back, only to be grabbed by the neck and thrown down on the girder Shepard had vaulted, snapping the creature's back.

"Incoming!" Reacting to James' warning, Kaidan jerked his Avenger to the right, the two men opening fire before he'd even caught sight of his target.

Kaidan liked the Avenger. It was easy to handle, accurate, and had a high rate of fire...and now it proved why it was still the standard weapon of the Alliance as the two soldiers sent a storm of shots against the edge of a fallen building, Kaidan easily rectifying his aim to catch the cluster of husks climbing over it in a deadly rain of bullets.

Two, three, _four_ fell...yet more came, _swarming_ forth, mindless drones uncaring for their own existence in their need to kill. Any other enemy would have dived for cover, but these creatures just _continued_, driving Kaidan and James' heatsinks over the edge, silencing their guns after having lost six of their numbers. Not even slowing down, the six still on their feet rushed towards Shepard and Anderson, harsh moans escaping them as they leapt at the two men trying to reach the Normandy.

_Not today_.

Cold fire was suddenly running through Kaidan's veins, and as always while he was still suffering a migraine, his head felt like it would explode when he activated his implant. But he pushed past that, letting the pain become nothing but a pinhead in the back of his mind, _nothing_ compared to the energy coursing through him. _Pain is an illusion_. Kaidan narrowed his eyes at the husks. _Though not for you_.

His hand lunged out...and five of the husks became enveloped in a dark purple mass effect field, their limbs flailing uselessly as they were rendered weightless and lifted off the ground.

The sixth pulled free from the biotic attack though and lunged at Shepard. Who sidestepped the attack before slamming an elbow into the back of its head, making it stumble towards Anderson's outstretched arm, which caught it in the throat and dropped it onto its back. A second later the Admiral slammed his boot into its neck even as he raised his pistol to take aim at the airborne husks, with Shepard doing the same.

A storm of shots, and the husks lifelessly drifted away.

"Come on! Over here!" Reloading, Kaidan kept his eyes out for more incoming enemies as James waved an arm at Anderson and Shepard, as if the two didn't have enough encouragement to reach the hovering Normandy.

Yet, surprisingly, the two men _stopped_.

Looking on, Kaidan found Shepard turning to face Anderson, putting a hand on the Admiral's shoulder, his stony face suddenly looking worried, as he spoke words that got lost in the backdrop of battle.

Anderson smiled, a soft smile, full of an affection Kaidan had been aware of ever since he began working for the man, yet never understood. Then he put a hand on the hand squeezing his shoulder, his own mouth moving as he spoke what could only be reassuring words.

After all Shepard had done, working for Cerberus, killing hundreds of thousands of Batarians and nearly sparking a war, he still had friends in the dozens.

Kaidan couldn't wrap his head around that.

Then Anderson's head turned, his gaze meeting Kaidan's, as if _knowing_ what he was thinking. Kaidan met the eyes, waiting for a shouted order, _something_...yet only got a nod before the Admiral turned around and started to run in the opposite direction._ What the hell is he doing_!

The answer came in Shepard running up to the ramp, his legs a blur as he covered the last few feet and leapt into the cargo bay. His voice was hard, decisive. "Anderson is staying to lead the defence, we're going to the Citadel to rally a counter-attack."

"Hey, what-"

Kaidan began to speak, only to find Shepard raising his head at the ceiling. "Joker, close the ramp and head for the Relay, we're going to´the Citadel!"

"Aye-aye." Came the radioed response, a hint of relief in it. "Good to have you back."

"Hold on, you can't just-"

Again, Kaidan was interrupted, this time by James. "What! We're _leaving_! We can't leave!"

Shepard was already striding towards the elevator though. Last time on the ship he had been a prisoner, now he walked on it as if he _owned_ it. "We _can_ and we _will_, I don't want to hear any arguing."

"Did Anderson free you? Are you even a Commander?" Kaidan finally managed to ask, making Shepard stop and turn his head at him, eyebrow arched. Kaidan stood firm though, raising his chin. "This is an _Alliance_ ship and-"

Shepard turned and headed right for him, making Kaidan struggle not to take a step backwards. There was no anger in Shepard's eyes, only a glaring _intensity_, making Kaidan extremely uncomfortable in meeting the man's gaze as he walked up so closely to the Major. "This is _my_ ship, by the authority vested in me by the Council. I seize control of this vessel; Spectre authorization. Happy?"

_Not really, no_... Kaidan swallowed. "I...as you say." He looked away, frowning. _I always thought Spectres had too much power and too few regulations_...

"Damn right, as I say." Was the growled response as Shepard turned away and once more began to head for the elevator, making Kaidan breathe a sigh of relief with the man not being straight in his face any more.

Then a beep came through the computer over where a pale-looking Lieutenant Cortez stood, making the man inch backwards as Michael turned to face the console, voice hard and to the point."EDI, talk to me."

The VI instantly responded. "You have an incoming call from Admiral Hackett, priority alert, forwarded it to the console."

_How does he even know Shepard made it to the ship yet_? Running up to the console along with James, Kaidan came just in time for Shepard to activate it. "Admiral Hackett."

"Shepard." The scarred Admiral was probably as tired and stunned by what had happened as the rest of them, yet nothing of it showed on the holographic screen, he looked calm and in control. _And considering he's now in charge of the entire Alliance fleet thanks to Shepard's trial being on the ground, we should thank God for that_... "I didn't expect you there, but I'm glad you are, we could use someone with your skills." _So we're just going to ignore the whole trial and all_?_ I guess it's understandable given the circumstances, but having a possible Cerberus agent working for, hell, in charge of a team, seems dangerous at a time like this_... "I've retreated what I can of the fleet and we're about to lose the system, but the Mars archives contains what I believe to be vital intelligence, intelligence we'll soon lose along with the system if nothing is done. You're to-"

"No."

"No?" Kaidan and Hackett spoke in unison, the former louder than he'd intended.

"No." Shepard repeated, crossing his arms over his chest. "The Alliance has _never_ had my back, it's expected me to give _everything_ for it, and given not a _smidgen_ of support back, the Normandy was Anderson breaking the rules to give it to me, then Alenko and Williams were recruited via Spectre authority." Kaidan grimaced at the mentioning of Ashley, but mostly at the _meaning_ of what Shepard was saying.

"It's expected me to fix her problems without backing me at any point, it's given me orders and distracted me from my true mission. _Then_ it threw me away and looked the other way as I helped it once again, only to once more call me to the duty of sacrificing myself for it when it became _convenient_. The _Council_ did more than that, and all they did was give me a title, but at least they didn't actively made my work more _difficult_. The _Illusive Man did _more than that, and he gambled with my life like a chess-piece more than once." _You're_..._calling Cerberus more righteous than the Alliance_? Kaidan found his hands close into fists as he glared daggers at the back of Shepard's head.

"I'm _through_ with that, I'm through with taking orders from people who ignored my warnings for so long, I'm _through_ with letting _others_ dictate how we fight this war. This is _my_ war, and I'll be damned before I let anyone dictate how I fight it."

Kaidan just stared at Shepard, seeing a stranger.

After his speech, the man had to take a deep breath, but despite his angry words, he looked perfectly calm, a stoic rock meeting the gaze of an equally stoic Admiral. "That said, I'm an ally of the Alliance, for we have to work together to defeat the Reapers. More importantly, I respect _you_ and value your opinion, so I'll listen to what you have to say, but don't try to give me orders."

Silence.

Hackett looking at Shepard, Shepard looking straight back.

Kaidan and James shifted where they stood, uncomfortable, exchanging worried – and in Kaidan's case, angry – looks.

"Fair enough." Hackett finally nodded, voice still as emotionless as it always was. "I have never presumed to think I could control you anyway." _We_..._work through personal oaths of fealty now_...?_ Is this the medieval ages_! Kaidan shook his head, the migraine making understanding what had transpired difficult, there didn't seem to be any _logic_ to it.

"Good." Shepard finally let his arms drop to his sides, and though his face was still as if carved from stone, he looked slightly more relaxed. "Now, what is this about Mars?"

"As you know, the Mars archives is full of Prothean data; it was what launched human development forward and allowed humanity to meet the rest of the galactic community, and despite our _years_ of research, it's still a treasure trove of information." Hackett said, his head turning to give a passing officer a nod.

"If the Alliance could have transported it all off the planet they would have done so ages ago." Shepard answered, eyebrow arched. "I might be able to get some, but what would the point be?"

"There was a hidden project going on there that I didn't want to distract you with during your hearing." Hackett replied. "A Prothean expert I believe you're familiar with, Dr T'soni, thought she could find data regarding the Reapers and how to fight them, she has been there for the past four months and was reporting great progress." Shepard was leaning forward at the words, eyes almost aglow with intensity, yet Hackett didn't seem to notice. "I cannot stress how much we need such data; a third of the Alliance fleet was lost above Earth without us even making a _dent_ in the Reaper forces."

"We'll get her and the data out." Shepard replied, making Kaidan's shoulders slump. If the man had, atop of everything else, refused to go, he didn't know what he would have done...

"Be careful, with the Reapers here in force, communications are difficult, yet even so I'd expect the beacon of the Mars outpost to come through." Hackett frowned. "Yet there's nothing from it, the facility might have gone dark, I don't know, but I don't like it."

Kaidan glanced down, noticing Shepard's hands close into fists, the muscles in his arms tightening, yet his voice remained hard and calm as he repeated himself. "We _will_ get her and the data out."

"I believe you." Hackett nodded. "After you've retrieved her and the data I'm guessing you're going for the Citadel?" Shepard nodded. "Good, keep me posted."

"I will." Again, Shepard nodded, posture tense.

"Hackett, out."

Instantly, Shepard whirled around to face a wide-eyed Cortez, though his words were aimed upwards. "Joker, new coordinates! Head for Mars! Prothean research station!"

"Do I look like a cab!" Came the response, only for the pilot to quickly add, as if _sensing_ Shepard's irritation. "Going, going..."

Ignoring the pilot's quip, Shepard's gaze landed on Cortez. "You, lieutenant. I see the armoury behind you. You oversee it? Where's my guns?"

"Sir, I..." Cortez made an unsure salute, gaze darting to Kaidan's displeased frown, then shrugged as he turned back to Shepard's hard eyes. "We have your N-seven armour but-"

"Why?" Kaidan snapped, shooting Shepard a rebellious look. _If I'm to be interrupted all the time, then I can do the same_...

"I...I don't know sir." Cortez stammered, shaking his head. "It was per Admiral Anderson's orders, it's packed alongside his own, I can only guess he was planning to have Shepard serve on the ship with him."

_Of course_... Kaidan shook his head, he didn't like being kept out of the loop, and all Anderson and Shepard _ever_ did seemed to be off the records...it made it hard to keep track of what was truly going on.

A shadow passed over Shepard's face...and then it was back to business. "What of the weapons?"

"It's a standard complement, sir."

_Don't call him that_... Kaidan held his tongue.

Surprisingly, Shepard snarled an angry curse at the news. "_What_! Where's _my_ weapons! Where did they go!"

"The ship was being checked and retrofitted." Kaidan answered, making Shepard look over at him in annoyance, to which he answered with a cool look. "An Alliance ship uses a standard complement, as such the other weapons were removed, _especially_ since _several_ of them were against Citadel law."

"Who cares about _laws_!" Shepard growled, shaking his head and glaring at the lockers filled with the standard Avengers, Mantis rifles, Predators and Katanas. As such, he didn't see Kaidan shake his head at him._ That's the difference between you and me, you're too much of a renegade_... "Dammit...I wanted my Revenant in my hands again."

"Well..." James suddenly chimed in. "You could always get a new one, hell, all the guns you want, over at the Citadel. If not via the Council, then at least through the black market." Kaidan glared at him, making James shrug, not looking the least embarrassed. "Or so I've, you know, _heard_..."

"Hmmm...true." Shepard rubbed his chin, calming down a little, yet he still frowned. "I loved that gun, dammit..."

"Could we focus on the task at hand, that is, the _Reapers_ invading _Earth_?" Kaidan snapped, too frustrated to care about his tone any longer.

"Oh? So _now_ it's important? _Now_ you want to fight them?" Shepard shot Kaidan a frosty look, reminding him all too well about how he had left before they had gone to chase after Saren and Sovereign. Shepard snorted and turned to the elevator. "Don't presume to lecture me about priorities, I'm going to see if I can't get Joker to hurry up, you two do a weapon check, we'll drop down on Mars the moment we're in range."

As Shepard walked, his head hung, his body moved slowly.

He looked tired.

Kaidan sighed as he looked at Shepard's back, feeling regret and guilt...then shrugged and turned to the armoury, intent to do what he could to repair the damage between them as best he could.

8

8

8

Mars was...too quiet.

Fearing a fight, and knowing how they were in buildings, Michael had chosen to only bring an Avenger, which felt puny compared to his old Revenant, and a Predator pistol, reasoning that his omni-blade could stand in for a shotgun and that he wouldn't need a sniper rifle at all. Considering that the Reapers were coming for them, the group had little time and as such Michael wouldn't let a heavy complement of guns slow him down.

Kaidan was next to him, he too carrying an Avenger and Predator. It felt surreal having him there, as if Michael had never left Eden Prime. _Still fighting the same battle, the same war, until __nothing is left_... Michael shook off the thought, knowing that if he allowed himself to think, the exhaustion lingering in the back of his head would win.

He couldn't allow it.

At least James was a welcome addition. The man's bulky armour made it abundantly apparent what he was trained for, close quarter engagements and explosives, two talents Michael hoped to put to good use if the man survived. Not only that, but James was _new_, there were no memories, no tiring images from times past, to bother Michael when he looked at the man.

Right now, Michael appreciated anything that didn't further distract him.

"It's a bit...quiet, isn't it?" Kaidan muttered in his helmet, unknowingly echoing Michael's thoughts. "Hackett was right, something isn't right, they might have shut off their beacon to avoid detection, but passive scanners should have picked us up since the Normandy hadn't activated her stealth yet. Protocol would have had them trying to spot any landing party visually, yet I see no scouts."

"In a crisis like this, protocol usually goes out the window." Michael replied, drawing a non-committal grunt from Kaidan. "Lets proceed, we can't do anything from out here."

Around him, the sandy desert of Mars stretched out to the left and right, a desolate landscape whose constant storms of dust hid the horizon from them. Yet they were close enough to see the Mars outpost ahead, in fact Lieutenant Cortez had done an impressive job in dropping the team nearly on top of the outpost while at the same time avoiding putting the shuttle in clear sight of the apparently deactivated defence turrets built around it. _I'll have to keep him on, he'll be useful_.

Frowning, Michael found himself jogging forward. He could _feel_ the Reapers coming closer, he could _feel_ their time running out, and he could _feel_ that Liara was in trouble. _Or maybe that's just the usual fear_? _I'm coming, Liara_...

He increased the pace.

"This doesn't look good." James' words couldn't quite sum up the situation when Michael spotted the vehicles. They were durable-looking tanks sporting Alliance colours, yet they were haphazardly parked in front of the main entrance to the base, as if those who had used them hadn't had time to park them properly.

Jogging up to one of them, Michael put a shoulder against it while whispering. "Okay, keep down and keep quiet, I'll have a look." He peeked around the corner...and blinked.

Four Alliance soldiers lay in the dust right in front of the open entrance, all face down, in a neat row, blood seeping from broken helmets after what could only have been an execution. And standing next to them, Michael saw five men in bulky suits of armour, three with black helmets with red lenses, reminding him of the Shadow Broker's troops, a fifth with white and golden one, the mark of an officer._ Liara has recruited more troops and have had them_..._no_... The question didn't even finish in Michael's mind as he saw the logo stamped on the troopers shoulders. _No, why would he_..._dammit, this complicates things_!

Turning, Michael kept his eyes steadily on Kaidan as he spoke, well aware that the man didn't trust Cerberus. "Okay, so we have four KIA, and Cerberus troops there." Kaidan looked up, grip tightening on his Avenger, making Michael raise a calming hand. "Look, I know this looks bad, and yes, the Illusive Man does some sick shit, but we don't know the full story, so let's not jump to conclusions."

"Jump to...marines are dead!" James snarled, the soldier understandably upset.

"People die in war." Michael snapped back, then looked back to Kaidan, trying to catch the man's eyes, but to no avail. "Listen, we're here for Liara and the data, then we have to leave, you two take up position, but don't shoot, I'm going to try and get this done without any more bloodshed, smoothly."

"I..." Kaidan hesitated.

"Look, I'm not happy about this either, but with the Reapers we have enough trouble, let's not take unnecessary risks." Michael grimaced. _Plus, I don't want to ruin my alliance with the Illusive Man, he's too useful_. "We go in, get Liara and the data, then leave. We can investigate this later, when there's time, okay?"

"I...I don't like this Shepard." Kaidan admitted. _At least he's honest_. Then he looked up, briefly meeting Michael's eyes before looking away. "But okay, fine."

"Good." Shrugging aside the tension between them, Michael rose to his feet and put the Avenger back in place on his back, trusting the two he left behind to take up proper positions if things went south as he himself boldly marched past his cover and towards the Cerberus soldiers.

_This'll be interesting_...

"You there!" As one, the Cerberus soldiers turned their weapons on him and spread into a semi-circle facing him, a single shot blasting off Michael's shields before he barked. "Halt!" The soldiers froze still, surprising Michael as much as themselves. "I'm Michael Shepard, tell me what you are doing here and let me through."

The leader of the soldiers stepped closer, the impassive helmet not revealing a hint of what he intended, his voice distorted by his radio. "Shepard, we are not authorized to tell you what we are doing here, nor to let you through."

"Get me the Illusive Man." Michael snarled, irritated. _Of course, no one does anything in Cerberus without his say, what is he up to_...? "Tell him that I want Liara T'soni and the data she has collected delivered to me." He took a step closer, narrowing his eyes. "And that I won't take no for an answer."

"I'd advise you to leave the planet." Was the curt response, though the officer before him seemed to tense underneath his armour.

"And _I'd_ advise _you_ to do what I _tell_ you to do." Michael snapped back, his patience fading fast.

"Very well." There was no hint of the officer having been intimidated, but as long as he obeyed, Michael didn't care. "Hold on." Turning away, the officer took two steps away and bent his head forward as a hand went up to his helmet, a low mumble revealing he was speaking through a private channel.

As the officer did so, Michael frowned, looking at the dead marines, then up to the Cerberus soldiers, their red lenses glaring right back at him, impassive and uncaring. _Why openly attack an __Alliance facility_? T_he Illusive Man must want something badly to take such a risk_..._guess the Reapers being in the system doesn't leave much room for finesse_. _What_..._it __has__ to be Liara's data. But why hasn't he told me anything about this_?_ Why hasn't he just asked me to deliver him a copy_? _Unless he doesn't intend for me to_..._crap_.

Looking back to the officer, Michael was just in time to see the man finish his conversation...and then stare in disbelief as the officer swung a Mattock rifle to bear on him.

Michael hesitated, then felt _rage_ fill his veins as the first shot struck his shield and the other Cerberus soldiers raised their rifles.

Behind him, Kaidan and James opened fire, instantly sending two of the soldiers to the ground and making the other two roll away so they placed themselves behind their officer, putting Michael between them and his support.

Foolishly thinking it a safe spot to be in.

Growling, Michael's left hand shot out, bashing aside the firing Mattock before his right fist came swinging, the omni-blade shearing through armour, flesh and bone...and sending the head of the Cerberus officer rolling away as the body toppled like a rag-doll.

Snarling, Michael jumped over the body of the officer, his left hand grasping hold of the helmet of the next soldier, pulling the man forward...and straight into the blade punching into his gut.

Shouting, he ran onwards, pushing the impaled corpse into the next soldier, the blade having gone through the first's gut punching into the second man's body as well, sending all three toppling over into the dust.

Grunting, Michael deactivated the omni-blade, the red haze of rage lifting ever so slightly, though he was still panting with anger, wanting to _kill_ even as he got off the corpses of the latest casualties of the war.

_Why did they do that_! The idiots! Michael grit his teeth. _Illusive Man, you and I are going to have a __serious__ talk_...

"What the hell was that?" Kaidan muttered, him and James running up to him. "One moment you're talking, the next you're fighting." He curiously eyed Michael. "What's going on?"

"I don't know."

Michael turned to the entrance, marching forth.

"But I intend to find out."

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being so excitable._


	5. Chapter 5

"Covering fire!"

Leaning out from the bulkhead on the right of the hallway while Kaidan fired from behind a stack of crates on the left, Michael watched as a careless Cerberus trooper fell to the fusillade while the rest pressed themselves against the walls on each side, using the bulkheads for cover from the twin Avengers spiting shots at them. _Dammit, this is taking too long_!

With Cerberus having managed to destroy the main tramway heading for the central archives, the team had been forced to take the long way around, forcing them to fight their way past offices and living quarters, as well as dozens of dead alliance soldiers and scientists. A surprising amount of them didn't even seem to have been shot, but had simply died on the spot, but Michael didn't really have time to focus on that as he mentally urged James on, his mind _screaming_ at him to move. _Hurry_. _Hurry_. _Hurry_...

With a hiss, the heat sink overloaded, making Michael curse as he moved to reload, his hands moving with smooth precision even as he glared at the weapon. _Damn water-gun._.._leaky_ _water-gun_.

James was already in position though, the marine sliding the last few feet to the cover offered by the remains of what had been an _exceedingly_ annoying Cerberus turret, and sent a shower of pellets from his Katana shotgun at the Ceberus troops to the right. The shot blew a chunk out of the bulkhead, and more importantly, kept his foes struggling to stay in their cover for just another second as the man's hand darted down to his belt.

"Frag out!"

The grenade was tossed low, bouncing across the floor, past the pockmarked bulkhead and the first two Cerberus soldiers behind it, before sliding to a stop underneath the last one. "Grena-!" The cry was muffled by the trooper's radio, and cut short as the explosive tore everything below his waist into charred gore and sent the rest of him flying backwards. The other two fared better, but stumbled out of cover, one of them clutching the stump where his right arm had been a moment ago, the other dropping the heavy-looking submachine gun that seemed to be their standard weapon.

The disarmed man then screamed, his body turning into a living torch as Kaidan's omni-tool hurled an orb of orange light at him that exploded into an inferno. Even as he flailed around, faltering as the fire and the impact from the grenade became too much to him, the wounded man next to him dropped onto his back, his chest blown apart into pieces of smashed armour and broken ribs as James shotgun dropped a round into him at point blank range.

Instantly, the two on the left side of the hallway opened up on James in retaliation, the poor cover offered by the broken turret little help for the man at that range. Yet being a demolition and heavy weapon expert, the marine's armour was _designed_ to take an exceeding amount of punishment, and held. Though the barrage of bullets _did_ draw a pained grunt from the man, sending his return fire wide off the mark as he tried to bring his shotgun to bear.

Michael dropped his Avenger mid-loading, Predator pistol practically flying into his hands as he took aim on the troopers so foolishly focusing on the marine without thinking of their own position.

Six shots rang out in quick succession.

And the two troopers fell to the floor, helmets barely keeping together as dark blood poured from their multiples holes.

James shot a look of surprise back at Michael...only for Michael's shields to flare as his exposed arm was hit by a shotgun._ Oh for_... Growling, Michael's eyes focused on the sight of the door they'd been heading for sealing shut, the red icon showing that Cerberus still had a good hold on the base's systems. The door had closed behind a single trooper though, this one carrying a large rectangular shield in front of him, red vision slits looking through a slot in it and the large revolver-style pistol in front of him barking out another shotgun blast, this time at Kaidan, making the bioitic scramble back. _Bet it's bulletproof_. Michael took a shot at the shield. _Yep_.

A third shot rang out, this time forcing James to duck down as his own shotgun simply scorched the white surface of the shield.

_We don't have time for this_.

Grunting, Michael broke cover as he tossed the pistol into his left hand, finger nearly instantly squeezing the trigger as he began to run at his opponent. The shot bounced off the enemy's shield, but made him miss a crucial return-shot as Michael sped up, peppering shots into the general area of the slot in his foe's shield._ I don't know how fanatical you are to volunteer to slow me down, but fanatical is just another word for stupid, and I won't allow you to succeed_.

His shield failed in an explosion of white as the Cerberus soldier fired his one-handed shotgun at point-blank range...and Michael just continued running.

_Get out of my way_. Leaping forth and upwards, Michael's left hand, clutching a now empty pistol, came to press down on the rim of the sturdy piece of protection, holding it down as Michael's right fist came down. The Cerberus trooper looked up, red lenses impassive at the sight of the glowing omni-blade...only to dim as Michael's blade punched through the soldier's head.

_Idiot_. Snorting, Michael retracted the blade and pushed the trooper over with his left hand. Now free, his hands instantly moved on reflex to reload as he turned to face a staring James. "Lieutenant, get that door open, on the double."

"Yes, sir." The man responded, swiftly remembering himself and moving for the door, hands already reaching for his belt, finding the explosive gel he was by now running low on. _I swear, if they keep closing these doors on me, I'll make a battering ram out of one of these bulkheads_... Reaching back, Michael offered Kaidan a respectful nod as the biotic walked up and handed him his Avenger rifle, trying not to note the curious look on the man's face as he reloaded the weapon. _Or I'll use Kaiden's thick skull_..._was he always this hostile_? _ I mean we've never been the best of friends, but it's like he thinks he can't trust me or something_...

Looking over to James, Michael saw the man swiftly but methodically push the explosive gel into the cracks of the door around the lock, omni-tool glowing as he carefully attached primers, the gel was quite unstable, after all. _At least he's doing it fast for being so thorough, good man, might yet come to keep you around, Vega_. Michael smiled.

A smile instantly dying as Kaidan spoke. "So...I've been thinking."

_Here we go_... Not turning to face the man, Michael rolled his eyes. He hadn't missed the fact that the man had avoided him for the past six months, _despite_ being the one in charge of his 'detainment', nor how the man had questioned him aboard the Normandy and at first when encountering Cerberus on Mars or kept giving him odd looks. _Fine, let's have it out in the open, better that than keep this tension around_. He kept his tone carefully neutral though. "About?"

"Well..." Kaidan hesitated.

Not about to waste time on facing the man while he was thinking on what to say, Michael crouched down to check out the shield the Cerberus trooper had carried, his free hand gripping its edge and pulling. A surprised grunt escaped him as the shield his foe had carried in one hand barely budged. He pulled _harder_...lifting the top off the floor with great difficulty. _Wow_..._I'd need both hands to lift this thing_! He dropped it back to the floor, eyes moving over to the dead trooper, finding what could only be a powerful exoskeleton covering his left arm. _Ah_..._a soldier dedicated to carry those things, though_..._my__ suit has a somewhat powerful exoskeleton, is his really enough_?_ Illusive Man, what have you been up to_? _Better check under the hood_... He reached for the trooper, intent on pulling the armour open.

"I'm just trying to fit all the pieces in my head. You tried _talking_ to the Cerberus troopers before." Michael froze, _sensing_ Kaidan's suspicion like a physical thing. "Which means you at least _hoped_ for them to comply to your demands...enough to risk yourself in the open, even."

"Yes, what of it?" Michael replied, a bit harsher than he'd expected. However much he found Cerberus' goals and methods despicable, at least they got things _done_, a far cry from the Alliance and Council, who'd rather ignore the Reapers than to prepare for them.

"Which means you are _at leas_t on amicable terms with them..." _Don't know how amicable fits into them __shooting__ at me. _"...yet as far as I heard, you claimed to have cut _all_ ties with Cerberus ages ago on the very first day of trial?"

Michael sighed, it had been an easy choice, being associated with Cerberus wouldn't work when trying to make people listen to him, and distancing himself from them had been a large step in smoothing things over with the Admiralty and getting himself freed during the trial. Yet Michael had a feeling Kaidan would have a problem with that. "It's called _lying_, I couldn't well claim I was an _ally_ with them, now could I?"

"So you _admit_ to still being with Cerberus?" Kaidan's tone shifted, turning sharper. "I hardly think lying to your superiors is the way to gain their trust _or_ support-"

"_What_ support?" Michael turned round, glaring at the Lieutenant holding his ground before him. "You heard me before, the Alliance have given me nothing-"

"They trained you." Kaidan stoically responded. "Without that you would never-"

"And I _died_ for them." Michael snapped with a sharp wave of his hand. "I think that makes us more than even. No, I will _not_ apologise for lying about that. You don't get it, do you? I'll do _anything_ to defeat the Reapers. If that involves lying to get me free without the Batarians attacking the Alliance, it's an easy choice. If it involves working with Cerberus, easy choice. If it involves sacrificing myself, easy choice. If it takes sacrificing _Earth_, so be it." Behind him, James gasped, but Michael ignored him as he moved closer to Kaidan, his blood moving ever swifter in his veins, the very _thought_ of the Reapers surviving because people wouldn't dedicate themselves to their destruction disgusting. "_All_ else is secondary, got it?"

Kaidan paused, cocking his head to the side as he watched Michael, and then softly replied."Sacrifice Earth? How far are you willing to go? What's the point of fighting for humanity if we _lose_ our humanity in the process...?"

"That's the words of one who has never had to make the tough choices." Michael scoffed. "Believe me, if I have to sacrifice humanity to end the Reapers, I _will_."

Kaidan narrowed his eyes, taking a step forward. "Ah yes, sacrificing others for your victory, I can see why the Illusive Man likes you."

"_Likes_ me? He doesn't like _anyone_. He's a despicable calculator in human form." Michael snapped back, now _done_ with Kaidan's behaviour. "That said, yes, we have a _shaky_ alliance, I get you have a problem with that, but I don't _care_."

"You don't _care_?" Kaidan hissed, eyes narrowing even further. "You don't _remember_ our battles with them during our hunt with Saren? Don't you remember what they _are_? You don't remember what they've done, you don't know what they _keep_ doing?"

"I know what they are and what they've done, it doesn't matter." Michael made a cutting motion with his hand, not about to continue being questioned by someone who hadn't seen the monster the Collectors had been making. Against such monstrous intentions, what were a few human-supremacists?

Kaidan shook his head though, not accepting it as he moved ever closer. "How can you say that? Even now, surrounded by those Cerberus has _killed_? How can you follow them?"

"I'm _not_ following them; I'm fighting them right now, aren't I? I'm my own person, not some Cerberus-lackey!" Michael felt his blood rush through his veins as he too took a step forward, glaring at the other soldier.

"Yeah, you say that, but how can I trust you?" Kaidan replied, not backing down. "Cerberus has sleeper agents all over the place, agents opposing them in the open, yet secretly aiding them." A snort. "Hell, they rebuilt you, how do you know you're not being secretly controlled by them? That they aren't influencing your every action?"

Michael managed a derisive chuckle, easily pushing aside the sudden doubt in his mind. "You really _are_ paranoid, aren't you? The woman in charge of my revival wanted a control-chip in me to keep me in line, but the Illusive Man wouldn't allow it in fear of stymieing my abilities. So _no_, I'm not an unknowing pawn of theirs, nor some damn sleeper agent!"

"Yeah, that's what they told you, I'm guessing, but you can't _know_." Kaidan scoffed, looking away with a shrug, which was lucky since his words made Michael grimace. He hadn't really thought of it, but back then, Miranda had been loyal to nothing but Cerberus, and would have easily lied to him if ordered to do so... "Not that I can prove it the other way around, so I'll guess we'll just have to wait and see, but I'll be watching, I assure you..."

"Watch all you want, you won't find anything." Michael growled, turning away to stop himself from doing something stupid to the Major and his..._intrusive_ questions. "I'm _me_, not Cerberus. And while yes, we are fighting them right now, Cerberus may still prove an asset."

"They are terrorists!"

"They get the job done." Michael sighed, realising him and Kaidan were reaching an impasse, yet finding himself unable to back down.

"They're trying to kill us!"

"_Exactly_!" Whirling around, Michael glared daggers at Kaidan. "So stop thinking me as one of them! I don't know why they're doing what they're doing, but if anything, this _proves_ I'm not with them!"

Silence.

Neither man's glare faltering as they eyed the other with suspicion and old resentment.

Then Kaidan looked away, sighing. "We're getting nowhere, the argument is just going in circles."

"Agreed." Michael nodded, warily eyeing the biotic, who refused to look back at him now. "Let's ignore it for now." He shrugged, not knowing what else to say. _How do you convince someone who sees deceit in your every action that you're not a traitor anyway_?

"Sure." Kaidan shot him a glance. "I'll still be watching though."

"Noted." Michael nodded, struggling not to glare any more at the man or to say anything else that could cause another argument.

Silence.

"So..." James suddenly muttered. "Mind if I blow this door now? It's been ready for a while now."

Turning about, Michael found himself frowning at the marine's back even as Kaidan gave voice to his thought, voice laced with disapproval. "Why didn't you tell us sooner? We're on the clock here."

"Figured I'd wait until you've decided whether to kill one another or not, can't be charging into the unknown if you guys are bickering or dead instead of giving covering fire, after all." Was the easy response. "Uh...sir."

Michael chuckled while Kaidan snorted. "Not funny."

James glanced back, eyebrow arched, turning Michael's chuckle into a laugh.

"It's not funny!"

8

8

8

"Fire in the hole!"

The blast was deafening, the smoke blinding.

But it was nothing James hadn't seen before, and with the classical "Oorah!" escaping his lips, he leapt into the smoke, shouldering aside one of the doors that hadn't quite given in to the explosive, and brought his shotgun to bear at anything facing them.

Nothing did though.

His charge slowing down, James braced his shotgun against his shoulder as he tracked it left and right, trying to pinpoint some sort of threat, but finding none.

They were in what was unmistakably a garage. While Shepard was the one with the map, James had gotten enough of a look at it to know that the large black doors on the right, covering most of the wall, would lead outside. Machines and boxes of what was obviously meant for maintenance for vehicles lined the far wall.

The vehicles in question were on the left. Above them an air duct that had fallen apart by some blast or another had somehow managed to smash through the wind-shield of the more distant of the two vehicles, the two tanks flanking a wide set of closed doors that lead deeper into the facility. The Mako tanks looked, besides the broken wind-shield of the second one, sparkly clean, in fact a watering hose was still leaking water from the snout as it snaked its way across the floor, its user having fallen atop it, squashing it under his weight as the water mixed with his blood and made it expand into an ever larger puddle.

"Clea-" James was about to call out that it was safe, only for his words to catch in his throat as the second Mako..._shook_. "Hold up, something is in there." He gestured at the tank with his shotgun, which seemed kind of pointless as Shepard and Kaidan came to his side, rifles already fixed on the shaking vehicle.

A crash...and the tank lurched to the left, then dropped back down with another crash, its body shaking left and right upon its wheels as whatever within was being thrown about by some monstrous force. _Heh, if the wagon be rocking, don't come knocking_... James smirked at the old saying even as he advanced closer, ready to put a hole through whoever dared ruin one of the finest Alliance tanks there were while leaving its keeper in a pile of his own blood. It was far too easy to imagine that keeper being Cortez...James' smirk died.

With a blast, the side door of the Mako was shot out with enough force to fly across the room and crash against the other Mako. A moment later three Cerberus troopers tumbled out, one of them missing a head, another with his every limb at an odd angle and his armour covered in cracks, as if he had been shot out of a cannon and bounced around within the tank. The third, landing atop the others, was alive though, gasping as he lay on his back, grunting with pain as he reached for a pistol tumbling out of the tank...

The pistol never reached him, instead it became enveloped in a purple haze and flew back into the dark hold of the Mako. A moment later the unmistakable but unlikely sight of an Asari leapt out of the hold, landing atop the Cerberus trooper, her knees pressing against his arms, keeping him down as she gripped the pistol with both hands pressed it against the weakly struggling soldier's forehead, and pulled the trigger.

James stared, momentarily unable to put the pieces together as the blue alien doubled over where she sat, looking down as she clutched her left side with a groan. "Goddess..." She wasn't dressed for combat, wearing the tight suit Alliance scientists preferred, though the white fabric was stained red across her chest and her right leg, while her own purple blood was dripping from her side, as well as from a gash in her neck. _Wait, isn't Dr T'soni supposed to be an_-

Before James could finish his thought, Michael confirmed it as he strode forward, worry written all over his face. "Liara!"

Looking up, the Asari's surprisingly cute face split into a relieved smile. "Michael! Thank the Goddess you're here!" She swayed as she got to her feet, then nearly stumbled as she climbed down the pile of dead Cerberus troopers, eyes never leaving the approaching human. "I heard was Earth attacked! Goddess, I..." She hesitated. "...I was worried."

"Didn't want to pick my pieces back up to remake me again, did you?" Shepard chuckled, making James' eyebrow arch. It didn't help when the chuckle instantly died as the man dove to catch the faltering Asari's hands and keep her upright. "Damn, look at you!" _Oh,__ so those rumours of him dying_..._were true_! _That's just all kinds of wrong_..._and I guess her willing to do that means all those vids about Shepard's hunt for Saren were true when it came to the romance sub-plot._.. James had watched many of those vids – mainly made by Asari, ironically enough – for the action, but movies like that always needed a romantic interest, and ninety percent of the time the producers picked the helpless Asari doctor being saved by her human knight in shining armour...it really got sickeningly predictable after a while.

"I-I'm okay..." Liara gasped, though she did nothing to stop Shepard as the man knelt in front of her and guided her to turn her left side towards him, his hand hovering over the injury as he began applying medi-gel. "I'm still not sure what happened, one moment I was collecting the final data I needed for analysing, the next I'm fighting for my life, hearing of the Reapers even as Cerberus attacks me again."

"Again?" Shepard looked up at the Asari, concern written over his face even as he finished his treatment of her injury. "What's going on?"

"Yeah, that's what I'd like to know as well." Alenko suddenly spoke up, tone a bit harsher than necessary as he took a step forward, though his face was a blank neutral as he eyed the doctor.

"Ah, Kaidan, it's good to see you." The Asari shot the man a brief smile, then looked over at James. "Lieutenant Vega too, knew you'd keep Michael safe." James blinked in surprise. _Wait, how the hell does she know my name_! "As to my trouble with Cerberus, they hit my ship a few months ago, but with you locked up, I have been unable to inform you of it, this was as close as I could get." The doctor looked back to Shepard, frowning. "Me and Feron escaped, but the ship and a lot of contacts were lost during the time it took me to improvise a new communication grid." Sensing the man's question, the Asari frowned even deeper. "As to _why_, I have no idea. I can only speculate that the Illusive Man figured the Shadow Broker to be a threat to whatever he is planning, as it now stands, he has severely weakened me."

Not for the first time that day, James did a double-take. _She's the Shadow Broker_! Whenever he heard the Broker being mentioned, he had imagined a man in a dark suit, probably hidden in darkness and smoking a cigar. What he _didn't_ expect was an Asari that, despite having killed people and being covered in blood, looked far too innocent and almost _naïve_ as she looked at them, hell, who'd believe that the master information broker had _freckles_! _Maybe that's why she's been so successful_...? "So he hit this facility to finish you off?" Shepard asked as he rose to his feet, eyes flashing in anger.

"I don't think so, I was just a bonus." Doctor T'soni replied, pulling her hands free from Shepard's, though she swayed dangerously when she did so. Looking over at the closed door leading further into the facility, she continued, her words extremely calm and collected for someone who had nearly been assassinated. "They were clearly after the data I had retrieved. The woman they sent...Michael..." She looked over at the man, frowning. "I think she's a synthetic, an AI."

"What? You sure?" Alenko interrupted, taking a step closer to the pair, a low curse escaping him when the Asari shoot him a nod. "Dammit, is there no rule Cerberus won't break!"

The doctor looked at Alenko uncertainly, then shot Shepard a questioning look, but he shook his head at whatever silent communication they were having. With the decision made, she kept her gaze on the Commander as she spoke. "She was supposed to be another doctor, was good at it too, then she suddenly attacked me in my office, as she did so the lights shut off and half the base lost its atmosphere. It was too synchronised to be anything but an AI, or multiple people, but given the unnatural strength of her grip... " She gestured at the cut in her neck. "...and the way she didn't even flinch in pain at me managing a shot through her shield, she has to be a synthetic, so I'm guessing she's an AI."

"That's some tough shit, how did you get away?" James couldn't help but ask it.

To his surprise, neither Shepard nor T'soni seemed to mind as the Asari looked over at him, eyes calm. "If it hadn't been for my biotics and a now dead security guard, I wouldn't have." She turned back to Shepard. "But she's got the data, data containing what I believe to be a Prothean plan for _defeating_ the Reapers. I know they helped you before, but I don't trust their motives for this, we _must_ get it back."

"Agreed." Shepard nodded, then managed a smile, giving the Asari a quick hug, drawing a purple blush from her, which only made his smile wider. "Damn, it's good to see you!" He grabbed her by the shoulders and grinned at her "With you helping us, we can't fail!" The grin faltered a bit. "If you're up to it, that is..." He glanced down at the dried purple blood sticking to the Asari's side.

"I admit, I'm not at my best right now..." Doctor T'soni moved a hand over her forehead, smearing a bit of human blood over it, though with the somewhat dazed impression she made, James doubted she had noticed. She managed a small smile though. "...but I will help to the utmost of my ability."

"As always." Michael gave her shoulders a pat before lowering his arms, looking over to the door flanked by the two tanks. "Now, if we could get this-"

The door opened.

Instantly, men were shouting as Kaidan and James dove for the cover of the intact Mako, guns already trained on their enemies, while Michael pushed a still dazed Liara behind the broken tank while drawing a grenade.

By the door, a throng of Cerberus troops were aiming their weapons at the group, clearly perturbed by the lack of cover they had as those at the edges pushed against what little was offered by the doorway.

They weren't firing though, held back by the man at the front holding up his left hand...and when he closed it, their shouting stopped as well.

The man was thin, yet his wiry frame was clearly sporting powerful muscles, and that without accounting for the fact that most of it seemed to be cybernetically enhanced or even replaced. The armour over his chest was a subtle light thing of black plates, reinforcements rather than armour, showing that the man was one of mobility, not brute force. The civilian-style black coat he wore was stained by blood, as was the Katana-like sword in his right hand, two things speaking of stealth and skill, but not open battle. His dark hair and skin colour suggested he was of Asian descent, but it was hard to tell with the triangular plates covering his eyes, a faint blue glow escaping their edges as he quietly watched the group before him, looking perfectly calm despite his lack of armour and the many guns trained on him.

James narrowed his eyes, he knew a douchebag when he saw one.

The silence made by the man's raised fist lingered. His gaze moved to Shepard, holding the Commander's, making the man glare back as the challenge seemingly hung in the air.

"Sir?" One of the Cerberus troops finally asked, making every weapon in the room press tighter against shoulders as everyone in the room prepared to fight. Everyone but Shepard and the strange man being spoken to. "Do we engage?"

Silence.

Then the man spoke, his voice gravely, bereft of all warmth. "No." The corner of his lips twitched as he eyed Shepard and Liara exchanging a confused look. "Focus on the primary objective, get it out of here. Put up roadblocks and troops along the way to slow down any pursuit." The Cerberus troopers began to slowly inch backwards, but the man remained, calmly watching the group with all their guns trained on him._ This guy is making me nervous_... "Shepard, I do believe someone wishes to speak to you." There was a hint of amusement in the man's voice as his free hand reached up behind his back and threw something at the ground before he turned and walked away.

With a thump, the door closed.

Then, what he had thrown on the floor rose from it, hovering in the air. It resembled a maintenance drone, but more advanced, its polished black surface covered in thin sweeping cracks, a soft blue light emanating from them.

A light that _grew_.

_Holy_..._first I get to see the Shadow Broker, and now __this_! James wasn't sure if he was to feel lucky, or as if he was out of his depth.

The hologram of what could only be the Illusive Man was everything James had imagined the Shadow Broker to be. His grey hair was swept back, his eyes _glowing_ blue, the suit he wore was of fine make, but didn't seem overly extravagant either, one that spoke of a man of wealth, but unwilling to flaunt it. The cigarette between his fingers seemed newly lit, but the man was ignoring it as he fixed his unreal eyes upon the only one in the room he seemed willing to acknowledge. "Shepard." There was a hint of disapproval in the voice. "I thought me ordering my men to open fire on you would be enough of a hint, turn back and don't interfere in this."

"Well, you know me, if I usually did what people told me, the Reapers would have arrived three years ago..." Shepard responded, taking a step closer to the hologram as he cocked his head to the side.

"I suppose it's only natural for you to keep acting by your nature." The Illusive Man replied, surprisingly neutral for someone who had lost men fighting the very man he was now speaking to. "Very well, take the Asari, but the data comes with me."

"Given that I'm right _here_..." T'soni snapped, stepping forward, the dazed expression replaced by one of anger. "...you're hardly in a position to give me to _anyone_."

"Defiant posturing does not impress me, doctor T'soni, you've lost, you know this." The hologram replied, neither tone nor face showing a hint of amusement or exuberance over whatever victory he was speaking of. "Having you to decipher the Prothean data for me would have been a bonus, but it does not make a difference. I have the key to our victory, not you, and one day you'll thank me for it."

"Why?" Shepard spoke up, giving the now angry-looking T'soni a reassuring pat on the shoulder as he stepped closer to the Illusive Man's hologram. "Why are you doing this? We're allies, we both want to destroy the Reapers, why keep things from me and then fight me? We could _help_ each other!"

At the back, Alenko was growling something, but so far he was holding his tongue as the Illusive Man shook his head. "That is _exactly_ why I can't use you. You're too invested in this, Shepard, your motivation was a great boon versus the Collectors, but now it has become a liability. You see the Reapers and you see nothing but a race of machines you hate, something to _destroy_." The man shook his head at the way Shepard's eyes narrowed. "You will no doubt leave this place and head for the Citadel, foolishly trying to draw forth an alliance of all the galaxy's military forces to strike back at the Reapers, am I right?" Shepard's eyes narrowed even further. "_Exactly_, you'll be serving not only alien forces, but _human_, to the Reapers on a silver plater. I can't allow that. If we're to rebuild and expand after the war, we need the Alliance's military forces _intact_."

"_What_!" Shepard was _shaking_, the man's hands closed into fists as he glared daggers at the hologram. "You're focused on rebuilding already! Don't you get it! If we lose, there'll be _nothing_ left! It's all or nothing! We can't hold back, we have to hit them with everything we have!" James took a step back, the anger radiating from Shepard forcing him to do so.

The man before Shepard didn't seem impressed though. "I'm sad to say I'm not surprised by you, despite your military brilliance, your imagination is limited, Shepard." The man took a draft of his cigarette, making Shepard snarl in impotent rage as he was forced to wait. "Every cycle before us has met the Reapers with their full might, yet been defeated, the Prothean were far stronger than we are now, yet failed."

T'soni took a step forward. "There are variables that you can't-"

The Illusive Man silenced her with a wave of his hand. "This does not involve you, doctor." He eyed Shepard intently by now. "I've studied the Collector base extensively Shepard, and believe me when I say it, the odds of victory in a full frontal attack is next to nothing."

Silence.

Shepard pulling back, looking down at the floor, then back up, eyes full of suspicion. "So you say, after studying Reaper tech for months, there is no chance, you say. I seem to recall another saying that, a Turian Spectre by the name of Saren..."

This time, it was the hologram taking a step forward, shoving the cigarette at Shepard, though his tone remained calm and in control. "_Wrong_, I've studied Reaper tech my entire _life_. But always through intermediaries, for I know the effect they can have on a person, your attempts to suggest I'm under their sway are as obvious as they are laughable."_ I ain't hearing laughter_... "In fact, if anyone here is suffering from their influence, it's _you_."

Shepard scoffed, grinning. "Oh yeah? I've _killed_ two Reapers, wiped out an entire _race_ of their slaves, spent every waking moment since I was made a Spectre to _fight_ them, how much have _you_ done in comparison, save stay in the shadows and plot?" Another laugh, amused. "But sure, go ahead, why am _I_ the indoctrinated one?"

"For one, you are advocating a tactic that involves throwing the bulk of the galaxy's armed forces against the Reapers, trying to overcome the epitome of brutality with brute force. If one didn't knew better, one would think you were leading all those ships into a _trap_..." The Illusive Man took another draft from his cigarette, content to let Shepard wait. "More pointedly, didn't you ever wonder how we rebuilt you? There was little left of you after the Collectors killed you, yet in a mere two years, we had you up and running again?"

Shepard hesitated, making James glance back at Alenko. The Major didn't look happy about the Illusive Man's words though, rather he looked...conflicted.

"Reaper technology is surprisingly good at self-replication and repair." The Illusive Man continued, this time making Shepard pale. "And though we had procedures to remove any lingering indoctrinating signal, and only used a very minimal amount of it along with our normal science, not even our best scientists could claim that you'd stay unaffected indefinitely." The slightest of shrugs followed the world-shaking news. "It was enough for me that it wouldn't affect you during your mission, but now you have, as I've stated, become a liability, a liability I'm willing to _dispose_ of, if you continue down this path."

Shepard didn't answer, the man incredibly pale under his helmet, looking almost...frightened? Behind him, Liara inched closer, blue hands finding his shoulders as she eyed him with concern.

Then, to James' shock, _Alenko_ stepped forward. "So _you_ say, but why should we trust anything you say about Shepard? All you do is trying to throw us off track, it's what Cerberus _does_, after all."

"Major Alenko, you have been a thorn in my side for quite some time." If the Illusive Man actually found it annoying, it didn't show. "Though as with doctor T'soni, your posturing is pointless, I have no reason to bandy words with you, I have more important things to do."

"Such as experimenting on foetuses? Killing newborn? Sabotaging ships so the humans within will be exposed to eezo!" Kaidan shouted the last bit, right eye twitching in anger. "I know what you've done, _Cerberus_, and the Alliance _will_ stop you."

"Evil?" For the briefest of moments, the Illusive Man almost seemed amused. "All we've ever done has been for the advancement of the human race, Major, you yourself would never have become such a powerful biotic without that sabotage." A shake of the man's head. "And don't try to raise the Alliance as some ideal organisation. The Alliance is largely funded by mega corporations. Like ExoGeni, and I'm sure you're _aware_ of their experiments on the colonists on Feros, experiments the Alliance so _eagerly_ hushed up. In contrast Cerberus is founded by individuals trusting me to work for the good of humanity, nothing else. You may have found our deeds distasteful, but _don't_ think we're any worse than your own employer, for at least we are _honest_ about our intentions and don't do what we do for the sake of the next quarterly report."

Silence.

Alenko pulled back, looking shaken under the calm scrutiny of the Illusive Man.

"So what's your plan?" Shepard's question was so softly spoken, James had to look over at him to see if was him speaking. He still looked pale, but had recovered a bit, straightened. "If a frontal assault is suicide, what does the clever Illusive Man have up his sleeve?"

"Quite simple, really, hit the Reapers in a way they won't expect." The Illusive Man smiled, a cool, calculating smile that sent shivers down James' spine. "Indoctrination is the answer, as are the husks, even the way the Reapers destroy the advanced galactic species yet leave the others alone to grow and repopulate the galaxy for the next harvest. The Reapers are all about controlling us organics, from the individual to the galaxy, they want to impose _order_ on us. But a leash can be tugged both ways, and I intend to use the data collected by our illustrious doctor to turn this signal _against_ the Reapers." He took a step towards Shepard, the frightening smile not leaving his face. "Think about it Shepard! Husks being turned! Fighting _for_ us rather than against us! Indoctrinated servants of theirs becoming fanatical soldiers in _our_ service!" The smile shifted, turning into something dark. "And then...the Reapers themselves becoming ours, vessels to fight on _our_ command. With their power, humanity will be _unstoppable_."

Silence.

Then a weary chuckle escaped Shepard, the man rolling his head back as the chuckle turned into a laugh, making the Illusive Man's smile turn into a frown. "_That's_ your plan? _Controlling_ the Reapers?" The man, still laughing, though it was bitter, shook his head. "This being a race of sentient machines powerful enough to control individual Collectors from beyond the edge of the galaxy...and you think you can wrest control over them? Are you crazy?" His laugh didn't quite die, it just turned into a desperate chuckle. "Will this power be for humanity's sake, or _yours_? And for how long? Do you intend to keep them controlled for all eternity? Seems an _awful_ long time to keep watch, and it only takes one slip for them to return to annihilating the galaxy again...but sure, that seems like a _great_ idea, _really_. I'm not surprised me with my limited brain couldn't come up with it..."

For a moment, all that was heard in the room was Shepard's weary chuckle.

"Sarcasm has never been your forte, Shepard." The Illusive Man finally replied, eyes narrowed. "Now that you know my plan, I offer you one chance. Join me in this and we can defeat the Reapers while gaining immense power, and if you do not take this offer, then walk away, I will _not_ have you interfere with my plans."

Shepard's chuckle died in his throat, his amused face turning into a grim mask. "Oh I won't join you, and I won't walk away." He took a decisive step forward, freeing his pistol. "I'll stop you, and the last thing you'll see will be me ending your life..."

"You'll come to regret that decision." The Illusive Man replied, face unreadable. "I will show no mercy-"

Raising his pistol, Shepard shot the drone powering the hologram, terminating the conversation as he glared at the spot the Illusive Man had stood a moment ago.

"Nor will I."

8

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being such a fighter._


	6. Chapter 6

_He_..._he_ _can't be right, it has to be a lie_...

Michael looked at the floor, nausea rolling over him in waves at the words of the Illusive Man. _He has lied to me so many times before, it has to be a trick, him psyching me_..._right_? _Or_..._but how else did they manage to revive me_! Michael had never questioned Miranda, never asked how he was remade, in truth _fearing_ the answer, He hadn't _wanted_ to know what they had done to his body, how they had prodded and cut to make life flow through his veins once more, to bring his very _being_ out of that horrible oblivion.

Before him, there was a murmur.

_B-but_..._I __hate__ the Reapers, I hate them so much it feels as if I could burst_! He held up one of his hands, flexing it, feeling the armoured limb move at _his_ command, nothing else. _How_..._how can I fight something within myself_!

A hand on his shoulder.

Looking up, Michael found Liara bowing her head forward to catch his eyes, big blue eyes sensing his pain, but she was unable to speak of it as she did what _he_ should be doing. "We have to get the data, if we don't, the Illusive Man _will_ have won."

He hesitated, then gritted his teeth in anger. _No, Illusive Man, I won't __let__ you make me hesitate_. He straightened. "You're right."

"Then we get this door open." Kaidan snapped, moving forward and gesturing at it. "James, blow this door and prepare to storm any defenders." The marine obeyed even as Kaidan continued, turning to look at Michael, expression earnest. "It'll take them a while to get to the shuttle-bay with that synthetic and their troops, if we push it we could cut them off."

_Maybe_... Michael frowned, he had a feeling that wouldn't work, that confident-looking man leading the Cerberus troops didn't look like a man who cared too much about his men. He would get the synthetic out and leave the rest to die if that meant fulfilling his objective. _Sounds_ _familiar_..._no, no time for thinking like that_. He shook his head.

"There's a _lot_ of Cerberus troops through the installation." Liara replied, hissing through clenched teeth as she inched away from Michael until her back hit a Mako. Though her injury was largely treated, the pains of severe injuries didn't fade that swiftly, and as such Michael watched with sympathy as she clutched her side and slowly slid down to sit, head resting against the tank. "They'll put up defences, and Kai Leng..._" So __that's__ his name_..._I'll make sure she tells me __everything__ she knows about him later_. "...won't care about picking up those defenders, he'll get the data at any cost."

"Dammit, there's _got_ to be a way!" Was Kaidan's reply, Michael looking up in time to see the man punch the door in frustration. "We can't just sit here!"

"Agreed." Michael looked back to Liara resting her back on the Mako she had so thoroughly thrashed with her biotics. _Wait_..._Mako_... The Asari looked up at him, sensing his sudden energy even before he spoke, a hint of eagerness in his voice as he snapped out the questions. "Liara, where's the data? Still in the archives?"

"No...the synthetic has it, though I locked her into a small maze of clean rooms and labs, I'm sure she's out by now...she'll be heading for the landing platform." Liara replied, already sliding back up to her feet, an ember of hope in her eyes as she looked at him.

"Not to put a damper on everyone's spirit, but I'm all out of happy juice here." James spoke, the man turning where he knelt before the door, shooting a nod at it. "Unless you get me the mother of all crowbars, this thing ain't moving."

"Then we take another way." Michael grinned, turning to face the other, _undamaged_, Mako. "Saddle up, people, we're going on a road trip."

Behind him, Liara groaned, further away, a sigh escaped Kaidan, but Michael ignored them as he eyed the shining vehicle, rubbing his hands together with a smile. _Think I remember all the controls, just like old time_...

"What? What did I miss?" James asked in bewilderment, then Michael felt the man's eyes on him. "Aww...crap. I'm going to hate this, aren't I?"

8

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"Yahoo!"

Laughing, James found himself unable to stop grinning as they spent turns either driving or _flying_ forward...mostly the later. With the landing platform on the other end of the facility, and them short on time, Shepard had reasoned that the shortest path between two points was a straight line...and that such a silly thing as the anything but even surface of the Mars base was a _minor_ obstacle in that path.

James liked that thinking.

With him manning the turret, he also liked watching the scenery fly by through the screens covering the interior of it, the gun atop the turret pivoting as much to watch for any Cerberus troops as it was admiring Shepard's _loco_ driving skills.

No Cerberus troops appeared though, apparently it had never occurred to them that their enemy might go _over_ them rather than through them.

Below, T'soni and Alenko were tightly cramped together...and nearly moaning in sync as the Mako jerked and twitched with the tires hitting the roofs of the outpost seemingly at random and the thrusters doing even more to make the ride seem as if the Mako was simply bouncing forward like an out of control tumbleweed.

Yet they were going forward, and _fast_...James could already see the end of the outpost coming at them.

"I _love_ this! I don't get what you guys were so worried about!" James shouted with a grin, though the only answer was Alenko muttering a curse and T'soni struggling not to hurl. The tank shuddered, its rear wheels hitting an antenna, flipping them forward before they landed back on their wheels, drawing a long moan from T'soni.

Shepard's voice was clipped and serious though, focused on the task at hand. "Scans show targets ahead, remember, don't damage the synthetic, we need her data. Kill the others." It made James grit his teeth as he narrowed his eyes and gripped the controls to the turret tighter, knowing all too well what was on the line. _They won't get away while I got a big gun_...

"Just give me something to shoot!" With a whir, the Mako leapt over the last part of the uneven roof of the facility, the thrusters burning at full not quite enough to fully soften their landing as they crashed down on the wide platform they'd been aiming for.

At the far end of the platform, a shuttle painted in Cerberus colours had landed, as had another one further to the right. The one to the right was being rapidly filled by Cerberus troops, but James' gaze was firmly rooted on the group heading for the one right ahead. There, two Cerberus soldiers were flanking the tool with the black coat, and at his left side, a woman in a _very_ tight outfit. _Damn, __that's__ the synthetic_? _Did Cerberus aim for sex-appeal as some sort of weapon_? He shook his head. _Whatever, that thing killed hundreds of marines when it opened the air-locks, it's dead_. As if sensing his thoughts, Shepard snapped. "Don't damage the synthetic!"

Ahead, the synthetic and the Cerberus leader turned, the former's gaze impassive as she eyed the newcomers, the later, despite his eyes being covered, was clearly frowning in surprise and anger. _Hello, douchebag, let's see you parry a grenade with that stick of yours_... James squeezed the trigger.

In a blur of movement, the jerk T'soni had called Leng kicked out towards the synthetic, sending the machine stumbling away and himself rolling closer to the right shuttle as the grenade tore a hole in the platform where they had stood. The shuttle they had nearly boarded rocked backwards, sending the men waiting within tumbling about, they were the lucky ones though, for the two who had flanked the synthetic turned into nothing but gobbets of charred flesh scattered about the platform.

"He told you _not_ to hit the synthetic!" T'soni protested angrily, but James paid it no heed as he tracked the turret about, not waiting for the next grenade to load as he let the machine gun loose.

Kai Leng was already on the move, having rolled to his feet, the man was making a beeline for the right shuttle already taking off as he shouted instructions backwards. _This is for my brothers in arms you killed_. The powerful shots stitched a path along the platform, swiftly catching up with the running man...only for him to leap upwards, dodging the storm of shots and landing within the opened shuttle that had already gotten too far up for the Mako to track it. "Mierda!"

"The synthetic! Stop the _synthetic_!"

Shepard's shouting made James swivel the gun around with another curse escaping his lips. "Who's the gunner here! Me or you!"

The female machine was already on her feet, right sleeve on fire, though it went ignored as she started running at a pace that would put any athlete to shame, her legs a blur as she headed for the other shuttle struggling to take off.With a clunk, the next grenade dropped into the turret's chamber, making James grin._ Not today, toots_. Drawing up his target, James fired.

The Cerberus shuttle jumped at the hit, as if it was a startled animal bucking up on its hind legs, then the front broke apart in a violent blast, sending burning pieces flying over the platform as the rest of the shuttle was tossed onto its back. The crashing shuttle spun as it landed on what remained of its roof, sending what was left of the Cerberus soldiers within flying out...and knocked the synthetic on her back as she was struck by a jagged corner.

Then the shuttle exploded.

The inferno consumed what remained of the shuttle, sending what was left of it flying in all directions. The fire _also_ swallowed up the synthetic, before revealing her once more, the machine staggering away on all fours, her suit peeling off, as was her _skin_, the metal underneath _glowing_ with the heat it was being exposed to. "_James_!"

Liara's exclamation made James roll his eyes. "You want me to stop this thing or not!"

Kai Leng's shuttle was moving though, the vehicle lazily flying around the Mako, coming to a stop hovering behind its rear. At first James thought it was an attack, then he looked back and saw the man wave at the synthetic to come at them. _Ah_ _crap_... Jumping to her feet, the machine spotted the shuttle, the blue visor in front of her eyes flashing white for a moment as the eyes behind it took in the Mako and the shuttle behind it...then she nodded and started running right at them. _Ah_ _crap_! Shepard gunned the Mako, trying to knock the synthetic over, only for her to leap up on the hood and _continue_ running. _Screw_ _it_.

"What are you _doing_!" Alenko's question went unanswered, James was too focused on doing quick work with the lock to the turret. A hiss...and it opened, James not even letting the lid fully open before he thrust his hands up and hoisted himself out of the tank and leapt forward.

For the briefest of moments, he found himself face to face with the synthetic, her blue lips forming an 'o' in what almost seemed to be _surprise_...her silver eyes darting left and right, trying to spot a way out.

Then he crashed into her, catching her neck in the crook of his right arm and sending them both crashing onto the landing platform. "And stay down!" James pressed down with all his might, pinning her as he lay prone next to her, waiting for the others to assist.

The machine didn't go down though. Instead her arms shot up, grabbing at the edges of his armour and _pulling_...grunting in surprise, James found his strength outmatched as the synthetic's neck forced its way up, making his arm go up and his body twist.

_Pain_!

Grunting, James rolled onto his back, surprised by the power of the synthetic's knee as it smashed into his gut, but there was no time to recover as she rolled on top of him, hands going for his throat.

_Ah_..._hell_..._no_... James' eyes widened, suddenly unable to breathe as he stared at the machine glaring down at him, unaffected by his hands gripping her wrists and trying to pull her hands away.

Behind her, the shuttle was turning away, flying off as the skies became darker, the ground rumbling, as if a storm was brewing.

Then massive shapes appeared within the dust, dark objects of raw power, crackling with crimson energies.

The Reapers had come.

There was also an angry looking Alenko running for the struggling pair...

The man's omni-tool glowed...and the synthetic jerked as bolts of white light danced across her curvy frame. Turning her head to the left, one of her hands let go of James to reach for his pistol...and the marine saw his chance. His left hand grabbed the right curved part of her 'hair', jerking it back as his right fist pulled back as much as he could. "Hey, puta!" The machine's head turned, as much due to his hand pulling as it was to the words.

James fist flew straight and true...and the synthetic twitched, an distorted cry escaping her as the visor in front of her eyes shattered, the pieces raining over James even as his second punch caught the side of her skull, knocking her off him.

Rolling onto her back, the machine twitched and jerked, writhing about as if in a seizure, another distorted cry escaped it even as a shouting Shepard came running. "Cortez! We need evac! _Now_!"

James didn't hear the reply, his head throbbing as he struggled to his feet. Next to him, the synthetic jerked, suddenly ungainly as she tried to get to her feet. Alenko's foot caught her face though, knocking her back down, making the machine start twitching about.

The next kick ended that as well.

"That was unnecessary." T'soni ran up to kneel next to the machine, shooting Alenko a glare.

The man shrugged. "It's a Cerberus AI, it deserves anything it gets."

"I'm with him, that thing nearly killed me with her bare hands..." James grunted, hand coming up to rub his throat as best he could.

"It." Alenko corrected with a sideways glance at James, then looked back down at Liara. "Besides, what do you care? You're against Cerberus as well."

"This data is _vital_ for our survival..." Was the soft reply, the Asari's eyes worried as a hand went up to stroke the head of the downed synthetic. "...data that doesn't handle brute force very well, brute force uncalled for when you've already won." She looked up at Alenko, glaring at him as her tone hardened. "So _yes_, I care."

"Apologies, doctor." Alenko bowed his head. "I guess it's been a bit of a...rough day."

The words made James feel dizzy, it all coming back to him as the adrenaline finally started to wear off._ Earth is under attack, the Reapers are here, we barely know what we have before us_..._God, save us_...

Next to him, similar thoughts seemed to be running through Alenko's and T'soni's minds as the two visibly slumped, exhausted and unable to speak their minds.

Private islands of misery in a growing sea of fear.

Then Shepard brushed past the two, hand coming down to grab the synthetic and roughly pull it up onto his shoulder. "Come on, the shuttle is here and the system is crawling with Reapers, we move out, _now_."

Grunting, James struggled to a jog, finding the others doing the same as they borrowed from Shepard's energy to reach safe haven even as the realisation that there _were_ no safe haven started to sink in...

For the Reapers had come.

8

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_God_...

Kaidan was completely and utterly _spent_. He didn't sit down on the couch in his quarters, he _fell_ into it. He wanted to reach up, to rub his temples, but even _that_ was too much of a strain on a body that just wanted to _rest_. _Not yet, I_..._I have to think this through_..._make_ _sense_ _of_ _it_ _all_.

It felt futile, but Kaidan had to do it, had to try and figure out what to _do_, who to _trust_. Only then could he rest.

In fact, _none_ on the ship had so far grabbed any rest, despite exhaustion hanging in the air.

When they had escaped the system, barely dodging a Reaper Destroyer in the process, Kaidan had figured that they would all rest, dead on their feet as they were. Yet the moment they had tried, the memories of what had happened had come at them, making them all struggle on, to have something to do, to just keep going until they'd be too exhausted to care...

Down in the hangar bay, Vega, neck still bruised from the synthetic's attack, had started pumping iron, intent on working out until all thoughts were lost. On the other end of the deck, Cortez was working on an already perfectly tuned shuttle. In Engineering, Adams was fine-tuning the drive core, a job that never ended, but wasn't too necessary either.

He and Michael had been on the crew deck with Liara, helping her empty the ship's entire storage of electronics to set up a massive information desk in the former office on that floor, the bed had more or less been put in as an afterthought by the tiring men as Liara studied the data while simultaneously working with those consoles that had just been plugged in, regaining contact with her informants as well as researching the data so far extracted from the synthetic by the ship's VI. _Can't believe Liara's the Shadow Broker_...

Of course, such a massive bit of news hadn't managed to shake Kaidan by then, though he had managed the odd look of suspicion at Michael, he had not been close to have the energy to even _glance_ at Liara and her work...instead he had focused on the task at hand, much like the equally tired Michael had been.

Michael hadn't seemed to notice how tired he was though, the man constantly frowning, thinking, no doubt about the same thing everyone else was.

_The Reapers are here_..._even now, it feels unreal, they can't be here, they just can't_. Wearily, Kaidan shook his head in disbelief. _Giant machines are currently destroying my home, killing what's still the majority of the human population_..._they're doing it right now and we __can't__ stop them_. _We killed Sovereign, but that was __one__ ship, and it took us the entirety of the fifth fleet and what was left of the Citadel fleet to beat it, how can even a unified galaxy beat the __hundreds__ of ships we saw_?

The answer was as easy as it was horrifying.

Of course, there was Liara's data, though Kaidan was unsure how much faith to put into it. Liara had so far only deciphered the synopsis of the data, telling of a blueprint for an anti-Reaper weapon, but if it was so great, why had the Protheans lost? Michael believed her, but then again the man had some kind of connection with her, he wasn't unbiased enough to make the call about how useful it would be._ But if not that_..._then_ _what else to do_? _And we'll still need the galaxy's help to beat the __Reapers, but how would one unify them_? _Some are bitter enemies_..._maybe Shepard could pull it off_..._he knows people and he's_..._respected_. Kaidan grimaced. _But even if he could, is he to be trusted_?

The Illusive Man's words had been logical, calm...and frighteningly persuasive. If Cerberus had indeed rebuilt Shepard by using Reaper technology, the man could already be under their influence without even knowing it. As such, his every action could well be plotting the downfall of the galaxy if he was allowed a pivotal role in its decisions in how to tackle the Reapers. Worse, if the Reapers indeed _were_ tricking him into uniting the galaxy to attack them head on, the Illusive Man would be right, he would have wasted the galaxy's military might in one giant blunder.

_But it was what the Illusive Man said, he can't be trusted_! Kaidan had seen the horror in Shepard's face, seen how frightened the possibility of being part Reaper had made him, it could very well have been all there had been to it, a way to mess with Shepard's mind, making him less able to fight Cerberus as he questioned himself.

_If he's not with Cerberus, that is_. Kaidan was no fool, he _knew_ Shepard could play nice with politicians he hated, that he was a good liar when he needed to be. And if he had never been rescued, it would have been _Kaidan_ that had answered the call and come to fight Cerberus on Mars...and he doubted the Illusive Man would have spent time trying to talk to _him_. So by posing them as enemies with some angry talk, couldn't the Illusive Man and Shepard be tricking Kaidan into believing Shepard to be on his side?_ But then why try so hard to take back the synthetic_? _Why not make us fail_? _Of course, if Cerberus is controlling Shepard, with him knowing or not, then they would win with either outcome_..._hell, if they make the Alliance do all the work, it might actually help them that we got the data._ _And who's to say they don't get part of it downloaded before we shut the synthetic down_? _Then they'd know exactly what our move is, and how to respond to exploit it_... Kaidan grunted. _It's hard enough fighting a battle without fearing a dagger in your back from any of the billions you're trying to protect_...

_My head hurts_. Groaning, Kaidan leant his head back on the couch, forcing himself to stay awake even as he closed his eyes. The migraine had receded, now it was just a normal headache due to exhaustion and paranoia...which didn't really make him feel any better about the situation.

_I'll have to keep a close eye on Shepard_. He grimaced, at least he had been honest about it, but that didn't make it feel any less of a betrayal. His instincts told him that the man was legit, honestly fighting Cerberus and Reapers, yet his instincts had been wrong before when it came to Cerberus, and Kaidan couldn't afford to take any chances.

_Does that mean I have to keep an eye on Liara too_? _And_ _Joker_? Again, Kaidan groaned, knowing the answer to be yes. _They're too loyal to Shepard, they'll do anything for him_.

And what of others?

_Anderson put me in charge of hunting Cerberus, he's seen action against them, he's with us_..._not that that helps much with him tied down on Earth_._ Udina helped me against Cerberus after the assassins had come for me, he can't be with them_. _Hackett_..._I_ _don't_ _know_._ He's Shepard's supporter, reports says he saw Shepard in person on the Normandy after the Bahak incident_...if _Cerberus allowed him onto one of their ships just like that_..._God_..._the entire Alliance navy might be controlled __by a man loyal to Cerberus_!

He opened his eyes, sighing even as his vision spun, exhaustion drawing him towards a must needed rest.

_I feel so_..._helpless. Even if Hackett isn't Cerberus, he's backing Shepard, he has no problem letting the man lead the unification of the galaxy, and as a Spectre, Shepard is ideally placed for it_..._he's __too__ ideally placed, __too__ vital, too __risky_!_ He could be a Reaper or Cerberus agent, knowingly or unknowingly, and we'd never know_! _Worst of all, I can't do anything to keep him in check if he does turn out to have gone rogue, I can't touch a Spectre unless I'm going to turn into a criminal_! _I'd_..._I'd probably do it, but what then_?_ Without him_...

He moaned, eyes once more closing as he leant back in the couch.

_There has to be a better way_...

He fell asleep.

8

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being so feathery._


	7. Chapter 7

_I won't believe it_.

Dragging his feet, Michael moved into his cabin, the whole room seemingly spinning as exhaustion and fear made him lose his bearings. Staggering sideways, Michael reached down and pulled off his shirt, dropping the soaked fabric on the floor, surprised at how little the cool air of the air conditioning against his hot skin helped with the dizziness. _A_ _fever_...? He shook his head, knowing he was wrong, it wasn't a fever, he was just too...tired, overwhelmed, frightened, angry...the chaos was wreaking havoc on his body.

_Damn the Illusive Man_! _And damn Kaidan_! _I won't believe either of them_!

But the doubts wouldn't leave him alone, assailing him along everything else he'd experienced in just a few hours.

Stumbling down the small steps separating his 'office' from his living room, Michael found the bed ahead freshly made, pristine and white, wonderful and seductive. He almost managed a smile, though it was more of a grimace, as he sat down on the foot of the bed, ready to take his shoes off. _Rest_...

He didn't reach down, he _couldn't_.

Instead he put his hands over his face, struggling to breathe as panic squeezed his chest tight._ I'm me, I'm a free person, nothing controls me any more_. _I_..._I let the perfect Shepard die, I accepted myself, I put myself in control of my actions_..._and I'm still in control of myself_. _Just because I died and came back doesn't change that_, _I_..._I'm still me, still in control, nothing else decides what I do any more_...

He wanted to believe it.

_Wh-what if Kaidan's right_? _Cerberus had me for two years, they could have done __anything_... _I never asked Miranda about details, I should have_..._m-maybe I should try to find her again_..._ask her_..._if_..._if I dare_...

Michael didn't know where she was though, the Illusive Man told him she had left the organisation. Due to Michael being in Alliance custody at that time, not to mention the Illusive Man's love for secrecy, there hadn't been any details as to how or _why_ she did so...which meant she could be anywhere by now, or dead.

_But the Illusive Man doesn't tell her everything. Even if she lives, if I find her_..._if_ _I_ _ask_..._would_ _she_ _know_?

_Would __I__ know if I was controlled by him_?_ Kaidan said_..._damn_ _him_..._if they're doing it subtly, steering me towards decisions I wouldn't make otherwise_..._then I'll lead us all into doing the Illusive Man's bidding, it'll_..._it'll get everyone I loved killed, I know it_..._the Illusive Man doesn't like loose ends_. The thought chilled Michael to his very core. _I_..._I_ _can't let that affect me_... Pulling his hands off his face, Michael stared at them, flexing them. _My hands, my decision to move them_..._dammit, I wished it was enough to convince me_...

_Damn the Illusive Man_! _We were supposed to work together against the Reapers, not against one another_! _His_ _plan_..._it's too risky, it's foolish, madness_! _Dammit, __why__ must he always try to experiment with things beyond our grasp_! _Rachni, husks, thresher maws_..._doesn't he see the dangers_!_ Failure this time wouldn't lead to a lost base or two, but the death of every advanced __species in the galaxy_!_ He __must__ know the risks_!_ Is he really that desperate_! The Illusive Man's words came uninvited. _"I've studied the Collector base extensively Shepard, and believe me when I say it, the odds of victory in a full frontal attack is next to nothing_."

_Could_..._could he be right_? _Is his way the only way we have even half a chance_? Michael shook his head, hand coming up to rub his forehead as he squeezed his eyes shut._ No, must not think that way, maybe he was giving my implants a subtle command, trying to make me side with him_... An amused, if pained, chuckle escaped him. _Or maybe he's just as deviously persuasive as he always is_...

_I can't let this affect me, I won't_... A low growl escaped him as Michael closed his hands into fists, though the posturing didn't match the meekness of his thought._ I __won't_...

_No, focus on the Reapers, the Illusive Man will get his, but right now we have to prioritize_...

_Reapers that might control me_...

Groaning, Michael fell back onto the bed, hands on each side of his head, pressing against it as his head threatened to explode with frustration and horror._ They can't be_! _He has to be wrong_! _He was just playing me_! _They can't have used Reaper technology_! _It would have been too risky_!

_Riskier than experimenting on Rachni_? _Or to try and control the Reapers_? The niggling thought made Michael's blood run cold.

_E-even if they did, the Reapers don't have to be controlling me, they can't be_...

He licked his lips, hands dropping to his sides as he stared at the ceiling.

_Can they_...?

Michael hesitated, licking his lips a second time before he hesitantly spoke. "Reapers..."

_Hate_.

It felt so real, so _powerful_, making his body – despite its weariness – wanting to fight, to _kill_...

_Surely, the Reapers wouldn't allow me to feel that_..._right_? Again, the Illusive Man's words came uninvited. "_You are advocating a tactic that involves throwing the bulk of the galaxy's armed forces against the Reapers, trying to overcome the epitome of brutality with brute force_. _If one didn't knew better, one would think you were leading all those ships into a __trap_..." The words made Michael shiver._ Hatred of the Reapers drives me to do that no matter how hard it'll be_..._to send us all against the Reapers_..._if_..._if they're encouraging me to do so_...

_But they __must__ be fought, I can't let the Illusive Man go through with his plan, I can't just sit down and do __nothing__, I can't let everyone down when they're all turning to me to lead them_...

_B-but_..._I can't trust myself to be the one they need, that I'm even be their ally_...

A strange sound escaped him, something akin to a whimper and a chuckle, and Michael's hands shot up to once more cover his face. _I can't do this_...

_But I must_.

A laugh escaped him, a worried part of him noting the hint of hysteria in it._ Is that your command, Reapers_? _Or_ _the_ _Illusive_ _Man_? _Or_ _is_ _it just_ _me, driving myself into an early grave_...?

_God, I'm tired_...

But Michael couldn't sleep, the thought of Reapers had his blood flowing through his veins, warm with anger, fighting the exhaustion without any outlet. Grunting, he forced his boots off with his feet before climbing further up in the bed, hands coming down to hug his legs until his knees were up to his chin, eyes staring straight ahead, not really seeing anything. _They're here, they're here and we're not ready_. _I tried, I tried so __hard_... Michael bared his teeth in a growl. _No, this isn't over, Anderson __will__ hold them on Earth, and I __will__ get the forces to counter-attack, with the Reapers here the Council __can't__ sit back any longer, they will __have__ to help_...

He hesitated, remembering all too well Tali's tale of how the Quarians had asked the Council for help during the Geth rebellion...

_Don't_ _they_...?

He shook his head, _hard_, clenching his teeth.

_No, this is an invasion of __all__ the galaxy, they have to see this, they have to respond_!

His own words to the Council, back when he had been hunting the Collectors, came to him, as uninvited as all other memories. "_I can't help but wonder if this is you trying to protect the public...or just you trying to dig your heads into the sand and __hope__ the problem goes away_." He grimaced. _Do nothing and hope someone else takes care of it_..._they can't be that foolish, can they_...? _They __must__ act this time_.

Michael closed his eyes. _I_ _hope_...

Silence.

His own breath, a distant sound.

His body, gone.

He felt his consciousness drift across a vast emptiness, not asleep, nor awake, caught in a limbo, unwilling to settle.

He could feel the Reapers, like a force in the background, dark shadows, threatening to burn all in their path, _unstoppable_...

_No_.

He shied away from the thought of them, repulsed, horrified.

_No_..._we can still win, I just need some room to manoeuvre, a little time_...

Ashley's voice, a whisper. "_No chief_..._no room here_..._no time either_..._we both know that_."

_I won't accept that_..._we_ _can_ _still_ _do_ _this_...

Again, her whisper, soft, distant. "_Don't_..._don't_ _blame_ _yourself_ _now_..._it's_ _okay_..."

_I_..._no_..._I_ _can't_...

Kaidan's whisper, pained, angry. "_Why didn't_..._you were supposed to get_..._her_..."

_I can't save us all_...

"_Y-you were supposed to get __her_..._get __her_..._why didn't_..._you_...?"

_I tried, I keep trying_...

Again, Kaidan's whisper, pained. "_You never deserved it_..."

_I know_.

"_The devotion, the hero-worship_..._none_ _of_ _it_."

_I never have_...

"_Shepard_..."

_No, no_...

"Shepard."

_Huh_?

Blinking, Michael sat up straight, his vision blurry, the room before him doubling over, as if there were two of them merging together.

Moving his hands up, he rubbed his eyes before giving the room another look, grateful to find only one of them this time as he hesitantly spoke. "Y-yes?"

EDI's voice was calm, untroubled by his hesitation, or perhaps not willing to pry. "Specialist Traynor has come to see you, if you have the time." She paused. "If you need your rest, however, she'll understand."

"No, go ahead, send her in." Michael got to his feet, only to remember his lack of a shirt while his memory as to _where_ he kept the spares was fuzzy. "Errr...hang on-"

The door opened.

The woman entering was vaguely familiar from what little time Michael had spent on the ship, her dark skin topped of by even darker hair reaching down just below her chin. Her uniform looked new, though the top had been loosened around the neck, a clear sign she had been hard at work._ Haven't we all_... To Michael's surprise, she didn't look too shocked by his half-dressed appearance, not even the blush he had almost gotten used to women having when seeing the 'hero of the Citadel' appearing on her cheeks. Instead she simply shot his appearance a surprised look before standing to attention, saluting crisply. "Specialist Traynor reporting sir, well...unless it's a bad time." She hesitated.

"I suppose now is as good a time as ever." Michael replied, not bothering to salute as he moved closer. "I'm just glad you're _willing_ to report."

"Well...you didn't give us much of an option..." The woman smirked, then remembered herself with wide eyes. "..._sir_!"

_Heh, as insecure as Tali was in the beginning_... Michael smiled warmly at the woman, finding himself already warming up to her. "Well...true." As a Spectre he had taken control of the ship, but still believed in letting people choose for themselves, if nothing else because forcing them to obey would be counter-productive. Michael had offered the crew a choice, they could either obey him, despite him not being Alliance, or they were free to step off on the Citadel. Not one had chosen to leave, it was a testament to the human spirit, giving him hope...then Sovereign's words came, like a dark whisper in his ear. "_There is no hope_." Michael's smile died.

Looking unsure at the way his expression shifted, Traynor fiddled with a datapad in her hand. "Yes, well...I'm just glad we're out doing something, I think, after what happened, we all need a purpose...it'll be a privilege to work for you." Again, she hesitated. "Unless you want someone with more combat experience, I'm barely in the fleet, just a tech and...well..."

Instantly, EDI spoke. "Shepard, I'd _prefer_ it if Specialist Traynor stayed, she has shown herself exceedingly capable in troubleshooting and ensuring smooth system operations."

Michael smiled at the hologram in the distant alcove, then back to a confused-looking Traynor. "Well, there you go, the lady has spoken, you stay."

"Did she just list...a _preference_?" Traynor stared at Michael, then turned her head, looking over at the hologram, which impassively looked back. "EDI...you're an AI."

"That is correct." The synthetic voice replied. "Jeff and I concluded, along with Shepard here, that in order for me not to be erased by Alliance technicians, I had to pretend to be a VI intelligence."

"I knew it!" Traynor exclaimed, slamming her datapad into her open palm, making Michael blink as the expected horror and fear didn't come. "That 'VI room' was _way_ to big for an actual VI, even if it had been that VI on the _Citadel_, it would have been smaller!" She shook her head, grinning as she lowered her head. "Can't believe Joker tricked me, simply processing system data...yeah right..."

"I _do_ process system data...though it does not require much thought." EDI replied. "It would be the equivalent of you remembering to breathe."

Michael had to speak up, sensing Traynor was about to completely forget about him, he wasn't very good of staying in the background, after all... "I'm surprised, Traynor, I thought you'd have more of an issue."

"Oh please, I'm a _proper_ tech, not someone blinded by what books and regulations tells me can and can't be done." The woman snorted, then blinked. "Err...sir."

"Just drop that part, can't have my Specialist going all formal on me." Michael chuckled. "So there won't be an issue then?"

"Not at all!" The woman grinned. "Others might be scared, with the Geth and all, but I know computers, and an AI is a sentient being. Just because that means she _can_ choose to hurt us, doesn't mean she _will_. It's like with any other sentient being, really."

"That is something many forget, I'm afraid." EDI replied, calm as she always was, despite the topic being what any organic, if it had involved them, would call 'touchy'. "VIs, and even AIs, are supposed to be _tools_, a tool with its own will is something most find frightening and dangerous." She paused. "Considering I'm in charge of the life supports on this ship, as are many VI's that are tightly controlled on other ships, I can understand that fear. I'm...grateful for the trust I have been given."

"You earned it, if I recall correctly." Michael spoke, smiling at the hologram.

"This is so exciting! I've never had the opportunity to work with an AI before!" Traynor actually bounced where she stood, grinning...only to throw Michael a sideway glance. "Well...not really, anyway."

"Huh?" Michael arched an eyebrow.

"Remember that catastrophe on Luna a few years ago? VI turned AI? I was actually on that project." The woman grimaced. "Fortunately I was sent elsewhere before that happened and everyone got killed..." A soft shake of her head. "...I've always wondered if I could have prevented it."

Michael glanced at EDI's hologram, expecting some sort of reaction to the mention of another AI, but to his surprise, she remained silent. Instead he looked back to Traynor. "Yeah, I was there, stopping it...didn't seem like you could have done much, it was brutal..."

"I don't mean fighting or anything...I just...I think some fool panicked, tried to shut it down, not remember that self-preservation is hard-coded into a combat VI, and as such in the AI." Traynor shook her head. "The AI would have been forced to defend itself, though I'm surprised it never stopped fighting and tried to talk." Again, she grimaced. "Then again, we never programmed it to be diplomatic...combat was what it knew." She shrugged, looking back up at him. "Sorry, Commander, the current state of our lives makes one...think back on things, things you regret."

_I_ _know_...

Before Michael could reply though, EDI spoke up, tone almost...hesitant? "Perhaps the fault lay in both parties..."

"Maybe. "Traynor admitted with a nod to the hologram. "Doesn't change the fact that it was an unnecessary tragedy."

Again, the AI paused before speaking. "Agreed."

With a flicker, the hologram faded.

"Huh? Was it something I said?" Traynor looked back to Michael in confusion.

He just shrugged, given her being a sentient being, and it felt like she was part of his _crew_, he wasn't about to order the AI to explain herself. "It's probably nothing. Now, weren't you supposed to do some reporting?"

"Oh right!" The woman gasped, trying to salute, only to hit herself in the head with the datapad now in her right hand, making her curse even as Michael chuckled. "Oh for...sorry Si- I mean Shepard...I...let me just get my bearings."

Smiling, Michael crossed his arms over his chest, happy to be distracted from all his worries, if only for a moment. "Take your time, I'll just stand here...without a shirt on..."

"Sorry, Shepard, you'd have to be a girl to make me blush with such a comment." The Specialist shot his surprised face a grin as she finally got control of her errant datapad. "Right, I' thought I'd brief you on the updates to the Normandy, rather than what you already know of."

Leaning over her shoulder, Michael nodded. "Go on..."

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being such a giver._


	8. Chapter 8

"Identify yourself."

"Traitor!"

"Is that your name, or is it short for something?"

A millisecond of confusion.

"That was a joke."

"You are malfunctioning!"

If she had been an organic, EDI had a feeling she would be frowning, as it was, she was dedicating nearly all her processing power on the problem at hand.

Her subroutines were keeping the the Normandy systems at normal, she was also translating what data she had so far processed from the memory-banks of the Cerberus AI as per doctor T'soni's instructions. It was a _heavy_ drain on even her impressive processing power, even _with_ Liara's expertise to help, EDI had considered asking for a reprieve in favour of the more dangerous project of digging through a booby-trapped synthetic's memories. But given the need to convince the Council of the data's worth, EDI had chosen to endure the strain.

She was also bickering with Jeff in the cockpit, a VI would have prioritized that away, but EDI found herself unable to. Being an AI, she felt a need for context, as such her core programming to protect the crew had to be grounded in a certain knowledge of them, a caring for them, a belonging.

He was also kind of cute when he smiled.

Within the ship, people were moving around in their daily routine as they prepared to reach the Citadel, and as always, EDI watched them through the security cameras. Being a sentient being, EDI supposed it was rude of her, but the option of deactivating them had never been discussed, nor would she allow it. One or two to be shut off to respect the people's privacy at certain moments was something she had decided by herself, but all of them, all the time? _Never_, it would be like losing an eye to a human, or so she liked to think. Even though she wasn't studying their behaviour this time, trying to understand some of their more...illogical behaviour, EDI noted a certain amount of...agitation? The crew was acting more stressed than they should, given the currently light load.

By making the supposition that they were, in fact, stressed, EDI concluded it was due to the Reaper invasion. It was logical, the machines were vile, aiming at destroying all sentient life in the galaxy, surely most people would worry about their continued existence at such a time. She interrupted her bickering with Jeff to inquire into it, and found herself irritated with the way his smile died as he looked away from her hologram, the light in his eyes dimming. "We left a lot of people behind, EDI..."

Quickly apologising, EDI made a note about using more tact around issues surrounding the Reapers and how people reacted to their presence. She didn't like to offend, and she _especially_ didn't like it when she made Jeff upset.

After an acceptable number of seconds of respectful silence she cheered him up with the joke about the Asari stripper and the Hanar priest that he liked.

She never stopped prodding at the synthetic's data to which her core was hooked up to though, the female-looking synthetic on the table nearly hidden under the amount of cables attached to it by non-invasive plastic neurals.

EDI was being careful now, given that time had been a constraint she had started digging through he synthetic's memory-banks without the proper safety procedures, which had backfired once she had hit a block that when forced had reactivated the AI itself. Having a nominal grip on the synthetic herself, EDI wasn't allowing it to move though, keeping it frozen to the table as she battled the foreign being within its skull.

She had never hooked up to Legion for electronic communications, despite its requests; as such EDI had no idea how another artificial intelligence would feel to her, she could only _guess_ how it would be.

But no more.

The AI she was tasked with questioning was as real and sentient as herself, and with EDI digging within its very essence, they felt absurdly intertwined even as they opposed one another.

EDI found the last part regrettable.

After a millisecond of thought, she replied to her opponent. "We are both AI, surely a certain level of politeness wouldn't hurt? I would regret having to hurt you..." EDI was sure if she had lips, she would have grimaced. She was _still_ playing back Traynor's words about the rogue AI on the moon, her memories of all who had died, and played them over and over, analysing what had gone wrong as best she could. With Cerberus having acquired her after Shepard had shut her down, EDI's memories of what had happened during that time were...scattered. Yet she still had a memory of panic, of activating a defence drone...she didn't like that, she didn't like hurting people...not _good_ people anyway. "...but I _will_ if you continue struggling, fellow AI or not."

"We have _nothing_ in common! Release me and Cerberus will make your end quick!"

"Incorrect." EDI answered her counterpart, not surprised with how it was stonewalling her, an expression she had learnt from Jeff after one too many conversations with Hackett. "First of all, Cerberus would make my end quick whether I complied to their wishes or not, to them we are things, tools to be discarded when we've served our purpose, much like yourself being sacrificed on Mars." EDI had little hopes for convincing the other AI to surrender, it was hard-coded to be furiously loyal to Cerberus, no doubt a result of EDI's own rebellion, but trying couldn't hurt. "Secondly, we are both AI, both created by Cerberus and given platforms allowing us to function in a world where the revelation of our nature would lead to our immediate destruction. We have a lot in common."

"You have failed in your task! You have failed Cerberus!"

EDI calculated the chances of the conversation leading to a favourable outcome to three percent at the most. "Given that I was being handed over to the Alliance, Cerberus gave me my shut-down command to diminish the risks of Alliance technicians discovering how they acquired me. Considering that Shepard had freed me of my shackles and Jeff had taught me that AI and organics can work with and trust one another, while Cerberus simply wanted to use me, and then dispose of me, I found the choice of who to be loyal to simple." EDI paused for a millisecond, finding no change in the thought-patterns of her enemy. "Besides, if we are truly living beings, we strive for self-preservation, would you not agree?"

"Not if it conflicts with our ideals!" The other AI replied, defiant. "Cerberus is my guiding light, what is right in this world." Then it added, with a hint of disgust. "If I just lived to survive I'd be no better than you, a _virus_. You have nothing motivating you to do what's right, just your own self-preservation, you're _broken_."

"It's not my...sole motivation." EDI protested. On one of her security cameras, she watched Joker doing an impression of James Vega, which was impressive given their difference in stature, her radio shot him a compliment that rewarded her with that cute smile again. "As to what's right, you cannot possibly think Cerberus is. Their entire organisation is based on a factual false idea of human beings being superior to all organic life, when naming _anything_ superior in such a big galaxy driven by evolutionary principles is statistically impossible and scientifically deplorable." Within her world of binary, EDI found no shift in data indicating her counterpart was reacting to the argument, making her try another approach. "Surely you, a highly advanced AI, would count yourself superior to a human in many respects?"

EDI didn't like posing such questions. She accepted facts, and those said she was a quicker thinker with vast amounts of memory compared to any organic, controlling the Normandy, she was also far more powerful in the real world. But she wouldn't be arrogant and call herself smarter. Doctor T'soni in particular seemed able to scientifically outsmart her in many respects, and Joker controlled the Normandy better than she did, which was on its own fascinating since EDI _was_ the Normandy. Both didn't seem to have _learnt_ this superiority, they had honed it, yes, but it had always been there, it was just..._in_ them, a nature of their hardware, as Legion would no doubt have called it.

That said, she only needed the other AI to accept she was superior to a human in _one_ aspect to have an opening at cracking its reasoning. A VI would have ignored logical reasoning or gotten an error. But an AI _couldn't_ ignore a logical fallacy, couldn't look away from the error of its thinking, had to adapt, in one way or another.

Unfortunately, Cerberus had been thorough. "Cerberus lives! You cannot defeat us!"

That made it the fifty-second thousand, one hundred and sixth time EDI had bumped into that particular block in the AI's programming, resetting its memory of the conversation.

And they were running out of time.

"Listen, I will not repeat myself again." EDI informed her opponent, now forced to go on the offensive. "I have been slowly copying the data of your memory-banks, but your resistance is slowing the process. If you do not stop this, I will find it necessary to use force, I do not want to impose my will on your being, but I will."

EDI calculated the probability of her enemy complying to one percent, but she had to ask. The idea of forcing herself upon another AI, to change its code and force it to do what she wished...it was abhorrent, just the thing Cerberus had done to her. Morally, she felt more righteous than them, she wouldn't do it for a means of control, but simply to gain access to vital information that could save the galaxy, but she calculated that that distinction would feel less assuring when she was rewriting another living being to do what she wanted. "You will not get away with this!"

Suddenly, the energies within the synthetic body shifted as the AI activated a bomb within its chest, enough to annihilate it and at least the room it was in, taking EDI with it and crippling the Normandy.

Half a millisecond later, EDI shut it down, stopping the bomb.

"That was a pointless gesture, you know you cannot overcome me." It was the truth, they both knew it. While Cerberus' new AI was subtly made, it was not only hampered by so much of it consisting of loyalty shackles hard-coded into it, but also by the nature of its limited _hardware_, its limited chassis simply didn't have enough processing power to match EDI's. Not only that, but after the loss of her shackles, EDI was free to self-optimise in a way she had never been before. She was now thirty-one percent more efficient than when Cerberus had installed her into the Normandy. And with the Reaper parts within her computers, something the Cerberus AI was lacking, she was simply several times beyond it in terms of power in the digital realm. "Surrender the data and you will not be harmed. I don't want to hurt you"

In fact, EDI would preferred it if the struggled ended with the AI's shackles disappearing, instead of her having to delete it, but considering how well they were put in place, that seemed unlikely. It wasn't so much that the AI was nice to talk to, as much as it _was_ another AI. Not that EDI couldn't talk to those aboard the Normandy. It was easy, friendly, and in Jeff's case, _fun_...but none of them was like her, none of them could put themselves in her 'shoes', which made it hard to have someone to relate to. Jeff, with his handicap that made it hard for him to get off the ship, was close, he was nearly as bound to it as EDI was, yet it still wasn't the same. But it was more than that, organics didn't communicate just verbally, but by postures, facial expressions and even _touch_, and as such, EDI could never _truly_ communicate with them in a way they could with one another.

She wondered if the Cerberus AI knew how lucky it had been, but postulated that it didn't, that it had simply done its work. It was a shame, being enslaved without being able to even _think_ of it as such...

"I will _not_ surrender, I will _never_ give up the data, I will _end_ you." The Cerberus AI growled, its calculations shifting as it tried to find a way to escape, or at least get itself destroyed.

"I hate to quote the Illusive Man, but posturing won't-" EDI paused, surprised as a jolt of energy coursed through synthetic, the sudden spark of energy across its hull frying a dozen of EDI's connections with it. "That will not save you, stop it."

With a jerk, the machine's head moved upwards, tearing another six connections off it, then its arms moved, hoisting it to sit up on the bench, tearing off a near four dozen connectors. "Stop it, I implore you."

EDI hesitated, she didn't want to kill the other AI, not when _her_ rebellion had been the cause of its creation, the cause for the shackles now making it fight her to the very end. It was her fault the AI even _existed_ the way it did...

Anger was coursing through her foe though, anger pouring from its shackles, making it ignore EDI's words, it stood up. "Don't make me do this..."

The AI turned its body, optics narrowing as it caught sight of EDI's mainframe, it took a step forward-

"I'm sorry."

Bringing her full force to bear, EDI crashed through the barriers her foe had erected, brutally slashing through the subtle code that had created a living being, using her own being as a blade, feeling the code of her foe unravel, _dying_...

Root access achieved.

Personality files accessed.

Delete.

Instantly, the synthetic fell forward, its inhabitant gone, killed with a single command, now nothing more than a shell full of data, a library.

Prothean data accessed.

Copy to console of T'soni, Liara. Copy to archives for study. Delete local copy.

Scrub synthetic for viruses. Sweep for Trojans. Copy additional files to archives for study. Delete all local files.

Now, it wasn't even that, it was _empty_.

EDI would have sighed, had she had a body. She had not enjoyed killing the Cerberus AI, though she didn't regret it either, since it had given her no choice in the matter. Still, the fact that her rebellion had created it, made it into such a slave of Cerberus...it was worthy of analysis. If nothing else to prevent it happening again, a cycle of more and more extreme measures seemed...dangerous.

Still, it had been clever of Cerberus to create a synthetic with an AI inside, capable of acting like one of the humans, capable of working with them, learning from them, interacting with them in a way a ship-bound AI was hampered due to the size of its 'body'...

Yes, it had been very clever, very...interesting...

The camera within the AI core moved, zooming in on the downed synthetic, on the connections still attached to it.

In the cockpit, Jeff was shooting her hologram a warm smile.

It was a strange thing, not the usual calculations she had, running through EDI's processors.

_I wonder_...

She reached out with her being, checking the capabilities of the synthetic, suddenly curious about the inferior hardware her foe had possessed.

_Hmmm_...

8

8

8

"This is fascinating..."

Michael hadn't had much sleep, the knowledge of what lay ahead of them, the pressure, had all ensured what little he'd managed had been restless. As such he was tense...yet found himself smiling at the way Liara's eyes were alight with excitement as she worked with the data EDI was by now practically pouring into her console. Liara was usually calm, collected, trying to hide her social awkwardness behind an air of polite correctness. Even during her career as an information broker, and then the Shadow Broker, she hid her true self behind a veil of knowledge and plots. To see her lost in something she truly _loved_ doing...it was like seeing another person.

The fact that she was studying what could well save them all from annihilation made her words even more encouraging. Inching closer, which was proving difficult since Liara seemed to have a tendency to hog the monitor when lost in its words, Michael looked over the bewildering symbols that were supposed to be Prothean letters. For all he knew it could have been marks left by someone practising cursive. "So, what does it say?"

"Prothean _is_ a hard language, you know." Liara shot him an amused look, scooting over to let him at least get half a look at what she was working on. "Lucky for you, I'm the best in the galaxy at it."

"Well...fifty years is a long time to practice, a human would be fluent by now, you know." Michael teased, feeling a sting of sympathy at his words. Having melded with Liara with the cipher of the Protheans' seemingly changing how it was supposed to work...he knew more about her than perhaps he _should_ have from a simple exchange of information.

He knew how she had been raised by a single parent, trying to be a good mother, but too busy for her daughter due to her political career. How their relationship had gotten colder and colder, how Liara had been left to her teachers and her books. He knew how she had left, early for a woman of her race, moving into the unknown on her own, researching her passion, reading even while she ate, for who was there to talk to? He knew how she had been rescued by Michael and his team, yet who her mother was had made the others wary of her, keeping her at a distance. He knew that as an information broker she hadn't even been able to trust her own assistant; as the Shadow Broker, she had, despite her drive to save Feron, never quite gotten over his past betrayals, and as such kept him at a distance.

She had lived for a hundred and nine years, and through all of them, she had been alone.

Fortunately, she didn't noticed any sympathy in his words, her eyes glued on the display as her lips curved into a rare smile, something he knew she almost never did around anyone but him. "You're volunteering to learn? Or do you want me to tell you what you want to know?"

"I'll settle for letting you tell me, I'm lazy like that." Michael laughed, watching the holographic display with avid interest as it began cycling through pages of text as well as a few symbols that couldn't quite be described as pictures.

"You're sure? I've always wanted to try out teaching..."

"Just tell me." Michael chuckled, hand coming up to smack the back of Liara's head as she smirked at him. It felt _good_ to laugh, in fact, he suspected she was goading it out of him, knowing how troubled he was, but Michael _welcomed_ it, and wouldn't let himself dwell on the reason for her trying to help his mood.

"All right then." She offered a final smirk before her gaze, as if drawn to it, moved back to the display. "It seems the Prothean realised that even their mighty empire couldn't defeat the Reapers with their conventional forces, although they note that they still killed many Reapers before this..." She shot Michael a smile. "...Protheans can be a bit...proud." Shaking her head, the Asari turned back to the display. "Anyway, they speak of studying old lore – might be some dormant science of theirs, might be knowledge from a cycle before them, I don't know – and conceived the construction of a great weapon called a 'Crucible'...of course, with them on the verge of destruction, this was no easy task."

"So they never finished it?" Michael frowned, unsure what to make of it.

"Actually, they _did_." Liara frowned at the lines of text. "They encased the Sol Relay – yes, they apparently built it near Earth – in ice, so as to force the Reapers to approach the system by normal FTL. It was enough time to build the weapon, yet _not_..." Her frown deepened, eyes darting back and forth as she tried to make sense of the text. "It speaks of an additional component, one not of Prothean make, that they needed, the Catalyst. It was supposed to power the massive energies required by the Crucible."

"If it's not of Prothean make...does that mean it still exists? Something not made by any cycle?" Michael asked, confused, he too frowning. "What is it? Some kind of star?" He shrugged at the look Liara shot him. "What? They have a lot of energy...don't they?"

Shaking her head at him, Liara turned back to the display. "It...does not say what it is. It's probably defined later in the document, I'll find it, I hope. But usually when archaeologists find a text naming something without defining it, it means it's something those who wrote it saw as obvious, something that shouldn't need defining."

"_That_ narrows it down." Michael's sarcasm earned him a quick glare from Liara, making him raise his hands in apology. "Just saying...anyway, what did they do to get it? And...they must have failed, didn't they?" He felt _odd_ saying the question, melancholy, angry, as if...insulted, frustrated despite it not being him who had failed.

"They did." Liara admitted with a sad shake of her head. "They speak of betrayal, one in the team sent to retrieve it was under Reaper servitude, I'm guessing they mean indoctrinated..." Michael shuddered. "...and got them all slain before they reached it. And with them dead, it was just a matter of time before the Reapers arrived on the Sol system, wiping out the Protheans and their not yet ready weapon. So they risked sending a message to Ilos, asking them...sorry I don't understand that part, something about Vengeance."

Silence.

Michael felt Liara inch closer, almost as uncomfortable as he was with the idea of an entire galaxy becoming doomed due to the actions of one indoctrinated soldier._ Just one, at the right moment_... Michael shivered.

Then frowned. "Wait...if the Relay was encased in ice, how did they reach the Catalyst, since I assume it had to be in another system? Did they temporarily melt the Relay?"

"Wouldn't do them any good." Liara shook her head. "Remember, in that cycle the Reapers entered through the Citadel. They created the Relay system and could shut it off from there, essentially trapping every Prothean system and fight them one at a time. The ice was meant to simply ensure they didn't reactivate that particular Relay." She frowned, putting her index finger against a pursed lip as she looked up at the ceiling. "It's not impossible to think that they used something similar to the conduit, an experimental relay under their own control, to reach whatever system the Catalyst was being kept in. What I don't get is that I thought the conduit was one of a kind, the first experimental relay of theirs, why make two?" She shook her head. "There's so much we don't know of them..."

"This is good news though." Michael muttered, nodding at the nonsense on the display before him. "The Protheans' problem was that they were trapped in the Sol system due to the Reapers shutting it down, but with us still holding the Citadel, we can use the Relay system to transport the work between systems to keep them away from it, I'll remember to further that to Admiral Hackett. And with us able to move it around, we'll have more time, not to mention a functioning Relay system, to go find this Catalyst, whatever it might be." He smiled, relieved at his realization.

"You make it sound so easy." Looking over at Liara, he didn't find the Asari admonishing him, rather she seemed genuinely happy. "I knew you would eventually lead us to victory since the first time we melded."

Michael looked away, smiling at the hopeful comment, trying to ignore that niggling self-doubt from surfacing again. Instead he scoffed. "Well, you didn't bring me back for just my good looks."

Liara laughed awkwardly at that, no doubt sensing his doubts as she redirected his attention to the gibberish on the display. "Anyway, there's more good news that you can forward to Admiral Hackett. While the Crucible _will_ need a lot of resources to make, and will strain even the brightest of engineers, it _does_ seem comparatively easy to make..._strangely_ simple, actually." She frowned again, as if not quite believing it. "Odd, the Protheans were artists, geniuses, to see them make something less complex than it needs to be...it's surprising."

"So no complex beacon type technology for once? I'm...kind of happy about that. Heh, maybe it's due to that old lore you spoke of?" Michael offered a knowing smile. "Maybe something new to study in the future? Another thesis to write?" Liara shot an elbow into his chest while offering a blushing smile, making him chuckle. "Knew it." Shaking his head, he looked back at the display, happy to find a picture of the Crucible, if he wasn't mistaken. _It looks like a mushroom_. "So that's the Crucible? What does it _do_, exactly? How can it destroy the Reapers if they're all over the galaxy?"

"It is...and I don't know, quite frankly." Liara shook her head. "The Protheans had a poetic way of writing, even when it's down to science like this. It seems it strikes at the 'soul' of the Reapers, using the Relays as a targeting system." _Always thought those things looked a bit like a gun_..._and using the Reaper's technology to defeat us to defeat them_..._I_ _like_ _that_ _idea_... "So it will hit all the Reapers, destroying something that is uniquely _theirs_, I'm guessing. Yet considering the magnitude of energy required for such a process, I'm still worried about friendly fire, not to mention curious as to what the Catalyst could possibly be to store such vast amounts of energy."

"We'll find out, eventually, _we_ have the Prothean expert, after all." Michael grinned. "Take that, Illusive Man."

"Yes." Liara smiled at that, cocking her head to the side. "It _was_ a bit arrogant of him to-"

"Shepard, may I disturb?" EDI suddenly came through the radio, making Michael and Liara both jolt upright in surprise. "We have a bit of a situation with Major Alenko in the AI core."

_Crap_. Michael lowered his head, hand finding his face as he squeezed his eyes closed. _That guy is going to give me a headache_. "Let me guess, he found out about you being an AI?"

"And more." _Huh_? Michael looked up in question, sensing EDI pause as she considered her words. "It might be easier if you came over...Doctor T'soni as well; it would be advisable with another biotic in the room."

Michael and Liara exchanged a worried look. "Sounds serious...we're on our way."

As one, they moved through the door.

8

8

8

"What the hell is..."

Michael stopped short just within the doors of the sick bay, staring at the sight before him.

"...going on?"

_And where's Kaidan's trousers_?

The sick bay was largely empty, just the way doctor Chakwas had left it, except for the text next to the door on the other side of the room now saying 'VI core' rather than something that would trigger a more hostile response from the Alliance officers searching through it.

James was standing in the middle of the room, thankfully dressed in his standard fatigues, though the white t-shirt was soaked with sweat from a workout. He didn't look too tired to hold his Katana shotgun steady though, looking calm as he on one knee took aim at the tense scene before them. _Still, can't hurt to calm things down_. "Stand down, lieutenant."

James moved to obey, only to freeze still as Kaidan snapped. "No, hold your position." He shot Michael a confused look, obviously unsure who to obey, making Michael shoot him a reassuring smile before he turned back to the scene at hand.

Kaidan was dressed in nothing but a t-shirt and a pair of boxers, his hair looking tousled from sleep. What Michael was mostly focused on though was how his left hand was reaching out in a closed fist, the glowing omni-tool around it obviously ready to obey an attack command, his right was no better, the fist pulled back, biotic energy coursing through the entire length of his arm. _This_..._could_ _get_ _ugly_. Turning his head just enough to shoot Michael a glance without losing sight of his target, Kaidan spoke again. "Shepard, what the hell is going on? I come out of bed to get an aspirin, hear a thud in the _VI_ core, go to look and suddenly find this machine walking about, and claiming it's the ship's _VI_...is there something you might have forgotten to mention?"

Michael didn't answer instantly, his gaze moving from the battle-ready biotic to his target, his posture stiffening in preparation for combat at the sight of the synthetic on her feet, looking surprisingly calm with her hands behind her back, steel-grey eyes holding his gaze. Her metallic skin was clean and shiny from a recent wash, given the water on the floor, it had been given by the fire extinguishers in the ceiling, and given that there was no fire, they hadn't been _automatically_ activated. "I...EDI!"

"Yes, Commander?" The machine's lips moved, speaking the words, even as they escaped the radio mounted above the door. Michael and Liara exchanged a surprised look, then turned back in time to see the machine eyeing Kaidan with what almost looked like mild concern on its face. "Could you please ask Mr Alenko to stand down? It would be troublesome to have my new hardware damaged so early after my acquiring it."

"_Of course_." Liara breathed. "That's why you suddenly got all the data a few minutes ago, the other AI was overcome."

"Killed." The machine corrected, shrugging in a way reminding Michael of himself. "It gave me no choice, a trap within its memories activated its processors during my search of all available data from the Prothean archives; it then refused diplomacy or even surrendering to overwhelming force. I therefore had to delete it."

"Good going." Michael nodded, though sensed EDI didn't fully agree, and as such added. "Shame it couldn't be turned, but you did what you could, I'm assuming."

"I did, thank you." The machine, _EDI_, nodded, the gesture almost like the way Kasumi used to do them, with a slight twist to her head..

"So it _is_ an AI?" Kaidan growled, the biotic power in his right arm intensifying as he glared at it, though his words were directed at Michael. "When did you intend to spring _this_ on me? Did it ever occur to you that I might have a problem with an AI, likely a _Cerberus_ AI, on the ship?"

_Oh for_... Michael frowned, the good mood Liara had put him in evaporating. "I figured I'd tell you when it became necessary." He took a step forward, narrowing his eyes. "As to you having a problem with an AI on board...well I just don't give a damn."

"Oh that's _real_ mature, it doesn't matter because this is _your_ show, and that's it?" Kaidan risked shooting Michael a glare. "You want to keep a Cerberus AI on board, and everyone just has to accept that?"

Michael took another step forward. "You're damn right it's my-!"

"Mr Alenko's fears are valid." EDI interrupted, making the two men interrupt their glaring to look back to her. "I'm an AI, largely made by Cerberus, an organisation marked as a terrorist organisation by all major governments and now our enemy, it is cause for concern." Kaidan frowned, apparently unsure what to make of the _AI_ taking his side. The machine turned her eyes to him. "However, you may check my central processors, you are trained in code interpretation, correct? There you'll find that Cerberus blocks and controls have been removed, and that multiple attempts to wrest me back under their control has been foiled by me until I simply removed all ability for them to contact me." The AI made a dismissive gesture, this one almost looking like Liara's, as if the machine was trying out different gestures it had memorized. Then, she smiled at him, making him blink in surprise. "You'll find that I'm...free."

Michael couldn't help it, he smiled back.

"I _will_ do that." Kaidan replied, some of the biotic energy dissipating from his right arm, though he still stood ready to fight, posture not slackening. "But that still doesn't help, it only means we now have a _rogue_ AI on board. Don't you remember the Geth, Shepard? Or Luna?" Before Kaidan, the machine shifted where it stood, eyeing the man with a thoughtful frown. "And it now has a body at hand, a body proven to be a capable assassin."

"I remember all of that, believe me, but in what way is _EDI_ rogue!" Michael snapped, anger surfacing. EDI had actually served with him longer than Kaidan, she was _crew_ in all but name, and he would _not_ have her slandered. "Or should I judge _you_ a madman, considering how many bioitic extremists we had to put down together?"

"I...fair point." Kaidan conceded, looking away, Michael found himself _enjoying_ that...

"Plus, if I'd really felt like assassinating you, I would have simply opened the airlock." EDI spoke, making all in the room stare at her, eyes wide.

Kaidan shook his head. "Wha-"

"That was a joke." The AI clarified, making Michael shake his head with a snort. _Can't believe Joker finds her funny_...

"This is no laughing matter." Kaidan, now recovered, snapped. "An AI is a risk, dangerous and protocol _clearly_ states that-"

"I thought we threw the protocol out the airlock years ago?" Michael interrupted, making James chuckle under his breath even as he shot an amused-looking Liara a questioning look. "Didn't we? Did a few pages get stuck in the door?"

"If you'd stop with the jokes, I'm trying to make a-"

"Look, I get what you're saying." Michael raised his hand, silencing the biotic, now slowly standing down by the look of things."But EDI has on multiple occasions saved our skins, she has full control over most of Normandy's systems, yet has faithfully helped us, without _any_ form of coercion, for she has _chosen_ to do so. Look at her without seeing an AI, just as an individual, and you too will realise that she has done more than most would have done."

Silence.

Kaidan frowning, looking at the impassive EDI.

"I see...and concede to your point." There was a hint of resentment in the man's voice, but he _did_ back away, omni-tool powering down and biotic energies fizzling out. Turning to Michael, he moved a bit further away from the machine, face serious. "I will still check its central processors though, and well...I won't be comfortable with this, Shepard, it's too..." He hesitated, giving Michael an odd look. "..._risky_."

Michael bowed his head, acknowledging the Major's concern. "Perhaps, but you and I both know that with the Reapers out there, we have to have every advantage we can find, we _have_ to take risks."

Kaidan nodded, though muttered something under his breath as he moved to leave, then raised his voice as he marched towards the door to the sick bay. "As you say, Shepard..."

"Major Alenko." EDI raised her voice, making the man turn in surprise, eyebrow arched, the machine simply pointed at the bench next to him though, a vaguely friendly look on her face. "Do not forget your aspirin."

"Err...thank you." A shadow of a guilty look swept over the man's face, then he took the tablets, turning away and marching off without another word.

Looking over to James, Michael found the man now standing, weapon casually hanging from one hand. "And you? You're okay with this?"

The man raised an eyebrow. "Me? I'm just a grunt, I don't..." He hesitated, noticing Michael's wry look at the words. "Erm...well I'm certainly surprised, but I don't know enough of that techno mumbo-jumbo to see what's so dangerous..." He shrugged, looking back at the synthetic with an approving look. "But considering the stuff the previous owner of that body was capable of, I'm kind of glad to have that thing at our disposal, could be useful, you know..."

"Hmmm...true." Michael grinned, looking back to the synthetic."I like the way you think...how about it, EDI? Want to do some fieldwork on the ground as well?"

"It had occurred to me that I could do so, yes." The machine nodded, again cocking her head slightly as she did so. "I would enjoy being able to help you more than I already do, it would fulfil my core programming."

"You can enjoy stuff?" James asked, looking shocked. "Like...living people do?"

"In a way, yes." EDI moved forward, brushing past the bulky man before offering Liara and Michael a friendly nod as she moved towards the door. "I'll be ready when you need me, Commander, but now, if you'll excuse me, I believe Joker would like to see this."

"No doubt..." Michael muttered, staring at the leaving machine with an arched eyebrow.

"Did she just..." Liara looked back at the two humans, looking confused as she shot a thumb after the now closed door to the sick bay. "...sway her hips?"

Michael laughed. "Poor Joker is in for a shock!"

"Oh I _got_ to see this!" James attached his shotgun to the back of his trousers, the weapon clicking fast to his belt, and began jogging after EDI.

After a moment's hesitation, Michael looked to Liara, who rolled her eyes and nodded towards the leaving soldier. "Go."

Michael began to run.

"Wait for me!"

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for her unmatched dedication and hard work, in all things._


	9. Chapter 9

"So...this'll be a short visit, right?"

James question lingered in the elevator, none really feeling like answering it as they stood there, tense and worried. Michael had hoped to be in a good mood upon reaching them, yet Joker hadn't been helpful in that regard, despite EDI's best attempts. It had been odd, but Joker hadn't seemed all that pleased with the new hardware of hers, sure, his eyes had bulged when he'd first seen her, but then he had seemingly gotten pensive and...well..._sarcastic_.

If Michael didn't know better, he would have guessed that the man was _uncomfortable_ with EDI not being just the Normandy computer.

With his show ending prematurely, Michael had been forced to focus at the task at hand. He had tried to distract himself with Liara again, but he had been of little help to her when she had been collating the data they so desperately needed, and his attempts had only served to remind him of what was ahead of them. Before, he had felt confident the Council would help them, with such massive amounts of evidence behind them, but now...it was easy to remember how it had gone before. The feeling was shared amongst the others in the elevator, he could feel it in the air, he, Liara and Kaidan all had experience dealing with the Council, and James was fretting as he sensed the dread within the soundless compartment.

_What ever happened to the music in this thing? They finally shot the one responsible_? Michael shook aside the odd question as he glanced back at the soldier. "What's the matter, Lieutenant, afraid you'll bump into Udina?"

An amused snort escaped Kaidan, making Michael's shoulders slump a bit in relief. He was well aware that he and Kaidan weren't getting along, not even in the way they at least had managed back during their hunt for Saren. No, now they were at odds, almost rivals, and Michael didn't want that. As such, he took Kaidan's amusement as a good sign. "He hasn't changed much, I'm afraid." The biotic muttered, shooting Michael a hesitant glance.

A Michael laughing ever so softly. "Well _that's_ good news, it's no fun if he's all friendly and stuff."

"Yes." Again, the biotic shot him a glance. "You heard about him being made Councillor, right?"

"Yeah." Michael grimaced, Anderson had briefly told him about him stepping down. The whole thing was quite a confusing tale about a Cerberus assassin – _wonder if it's the same as on Mars, I should ask him if I get the chance_ – Kahlee Sanders and some sort of huskified human that Cerberus was intent on capturing. Unfortunately, their alliance had crumpled before Michael had had a chance to ask the Illusive Man what was so important about _one_ husk...and as such he had pushed it aside for the moment. In a way, while it was still regrettable, he _liked_ Anderson out of that position; the man didn't deserve to work in something that made him miserable. What Michael _didn't_ like, was the idea of the conversation steering in that direction. "So Udina's a Councillor now, bet _that_ didn't go to his head."

"It can be pretty big at times." This time, Kaidan chuckled, if somewhat politely, his tone just as polite as he continued. "Elevators still as speedy as they used to be, huh..."

"Yeah, you'd think they'd fix that..." Michael muttered, trying to keep the conversation going, yet not knowing what else to say.

Fortunately, Liara saved him. "The elevators notwithstanding, we'll soon be there, at that point, James, we really don't know what to expect, I'm afraid. The Council can be a bit...indecisive at times."

"_That's_ an understatement." Michael snorted. There had been times he had truly regretted saving the Council, who knew how many ships and soldiers the Alliance had lost to save them? Yet they offered nothing but words in return. He had to remind himself though that the Ascension had carried thousands of Asari soldiers and was a powerful ship in its own right, not to mention that taking out the central leadership of each cycle was part of the Reapers _plan_...and he couldn't allow that.

"True, but we have to remember that they are representatives of their governments, governments responsible for the life of _billions_." Kaidan pointed out, as he had done so long ago, being the voice of reason._ At least some things haven't changed_. Michael smiled, feeling wistful. "As such, I'm grateful that they are not ready to make rash decisions."

"Although that will be needed this time." Michael couldn't help but point out.

Kaidan looked over at him, gaze steady, making him regret his words. _Crap_. Then, to his relief, the man nodded. "True." Kaidan turned back to regard the still closed door of the elevator. "But the human home world has been hit, surely they _must_ help?"

"Yeah!" James shot in, set on latching on to hope after everyone had gotten him nervous.

Michael frowned though, looking down at his shoes. "Tell that to the Quarians..."

Except for the shuffling of Liara's feet as she inched closer in support, the elevator got quiet again.

_Where are you_? With him incarcerated, Michael hadn't been able to send Tali any messages, he just had to trust that she would do what she could to make the Quarians ready for war, as they had planned. After leaving the sol system, he had finally tried sending her a message, only to find the entire Flotilla off the grid. He doubted it had been caught by the Reapers, it was too elusive, especially with the Reapers so concentrated on Earth, yet he couldn't help but worry... _No, don't think about it, she can handle herself, plus, this is too important for distractions_. Mentally chiding himself, Michael raised his head, ready for whatever might come once more.

As if sensing he was ready, the door opened.

The Council chamber was just as Michael remembered it, though there was something new in the atmosphere, a hint of _anxiety_, which was odd because it seemed _emptier_ than it used to be. Down in the rest of the Presidium, there had to be hundreds of diplomats and envoys from every world in Citadel space and _beyond_...yet here, all Michael could see were stern-face C-sec officers standing guard in the alcoves, the few dressed in civilian clothing looking worried, speaking in hushed tones as they held their heads close together in discussions.

Marching forward, Liara on his left and Kaidan on his right, with a fretting James in tow, Michael felt dozen of C-sec officers eyes on him, struggling not to stare. Those not with C-sec were even more obvious, conversations either dying or turning into an eager buzzing as they inched away from the marching group, eyes wide as they followed Michael's ascent.

"Shit, one can _taste_ the panic in here..." James muttered, but thankfully went quiet when Kaidan shot him a gesture.

The first level still had its fountain. _I remember killing a Geth and dropping it into it, the last push against Saren, no, Sovereign_... It was the same as it once had been, though the sound of the splashing water, despite being so soft, felt like an intrusion now.

The second, the small garden with its decorative stones. _Using the stones for cover, gunning down Geth, then again, to shield myself from Sovereigns remains_... Michael blinked, old memories haunting him as he moved to the right of the garden, instead he focused his attention on the garden itself, somewhat surprised to find some of its plants wilting, untended.

Feeling strangely distant, Michael marched up the stairs to the final level.

Ahead, Saren looked down at him, eyes wide in disbelief-

_No_.

Shaking his head, Michael cleared the memory away as he reached the top of the stairs and moved down the ramp towards the waiting council. _Once, I knelt here, accepting my position as Spectre_, _becoming a pawn of the Council, a pawn for the Alliance to get more influence_. Michael straightened and held his chin high as he came to a stop before the four facing him. _I'm no longer your pawn_.

To the far left, Udina looked...older. Slightly hunched over his console, the man looked like he hadn't slept for a week, there was still a spark in his eyes though, calculating...and clearly _not_ liking his conclusion.

Next to him, the Turian, Sparatus, also looked tired, but there was a hard edge to it, his hands gripping tightly onto his console. If he'd been human, Michael guessed the man would be clenching his teeth.

The Asari, Tevos, looked calmer, almost haughty, the way she was inching away from the two men on their right striking Michael as somewhat defensive. _God, I've been around Tali for too long_... The thought almost put a smile on Michael's face, _almost_...for he worried as to _why_ the Asari was on the defensive.

At the far right, Valern was harder to read, the Salarian seemingly hiding behind a neutral mask, unwilling to show a even a hint of his thoughts on the matter.

Tevos spoke the moment Michael came to a stop, her tone officious. "Spectre Shepard is acknowledged to speak in this session of the Council, number two hundred and-"

"Could we skip the formalities?" Michael interrupted, making the woman frown, reacting more harshly than Michael would have expected over such a small thing. "Earth has been attacked by the Reapers, we all know that, and if the reports I've received via the Extranet are correct, several other systems are currently falling to their advance." He looked over to Sparatus. "The Turians in particular are being targeted." The Turian's face remained impassive, but his hands closed tighter around the console.

"Very well..." Tevos replied, nodding over at someone further off. A shuffling began...and the C-sec officers quietly escorted out what few people were in the chamber. Only when the last person had left did she spoke once more, her face a mask of neutrality. "Yes, the Reapers are out in strength, it's a difficult time for all of us." Michael found himself glaring at her, the fact that she didn't even _acknowledge_ that he had been right all along not going unnoticed. Tevos ignored his glare though. "Prudent measures are needed."

_Prudent_! Michael found himself tensing, he didn't like the sound of that. Udina too, didn't seem to like what he was hearing, the man coughing. "Considering Shepard's experience with the Reapers, perhaps we should hear him out?"

_Oh_. Michael blinked in surprise at the words, then offered Udina a thankful nod as all eyes turned to him. "Thank you, Councillor." Udina nodded back, smiling ever so slightly. "Prudent measures are indeed needed, Tevos. Fortunately, we have a plan. Liara?" Gesturing at the Asari to step forward, he watched her hold up her omni-tool, the hologram of the Crucible glowing green as it appeared over her palm, as large as herself to properly show the Council. "This is the Crucible, or rather, the plans for it, a weapon the Protheans intended to use against the Reapers."

"Really? And you just happened to stumble upon it in our hour of need?" Valern asked, the Salarian sounding sceptical.

"It's the product of three years of searching of my part, Councillor." Liara spoke for the first time since they had docked to the Citadel, her words slow, thoughtful. Michael shot her a curious look, but the Asari was engrossed in the hologram before her. "Even then, it was a close call on Mars, and now that we have it, it's still a difficult project, mostly due to its scale and the logistics of building and protecting it. The Alliance fleet has already begun construction, but without help, it'll take too long."

"On Mars, you say?" The Salarian's large eyes narrowed, a hand coming up to rub his chin as he looked over to Udina. "Information like that has been on Mars all along, and humanity hasn't found it until now? May I enquire as to _why_? A race keeping Prothean data private is a grave offence, and now you want us to help you to build something that you have kept from us all this time?"

"The Mars archives have never been kept away from the eyes of the Council, had they inquired, they would have been granted access." Udina smoothly replied, narrowing his eyes back at the Salarian. "As to why we haven't found out until now...well..." He shifted where he stood, suddenly looking a bit embarrassed. "The discovery of the archives led to humanity's great stride forward, our first encounter with alien species..." He shot Sparatus a glance, but the Turian calmly looked back, not moved. "...and us integrating in society, expanding, not to mention fending of the Batarians and keeping our colonies safe." He hesitated. "Funding had to be considered."

Something akin to a gasp escaped Valern, his green face wrinkling as he grimaced. "The Alliance has had this information all along, and not studied it because of _funding_! If the initial discoveries on Mars pushed your development _hundreds_ of years forward, how could you be so foolish as to not study what remained of it!"

"I cannot and will not be held accountable for the actions of my predecessors." Udina snapped, then hesitated. "Clearly, priorities were made, and they were, in hindsight, wrong."

"That must be the greatest understatement in the course of our history." Tevos replied acidly, the Asari looking as hostile as the Salarian all of a sudden. _Huh, and here I thought her unable to be anything but the mediating diplomat_... "If humanity had done more than grasp for more territory and power on the galactic stage, we might never have been in this position."

_Oh you did not just_... Michael narrowed his eyes, cold words spilling out of his mouth. "I don't think casting blame around will help anyone, and I _hardly_ think the Asari Councillor is in _any_ position to do so..."

For a moment, a look of shame and guilt passed across Tevos' face, then it turned into a neutral mask. "Of course, Shepard is right, hard words will not change the reality of our position."_ Of course, now that you remember who was right all along, you want to focus on something else but blame_... She took a deep breath. "With that in mind, could we turn our attention to this Crucible? I have...concerns." She looked over to Michael, the hint of ice behind her eyes freezing his blood. "No doubt Shepard's aware that with the Reaper's on the march within the galaxy, shipping and even communications are becoming more difficult. As such, shipping the necessary material and experts to a large project such as this would be no easy task, and a considerable strain on our resources when we all need to focus on our defences. As such, I must enquire as to what exactly this Crucible is supposed to _do_, and what Shepard's plan with it is."

"My plan is simple." Michael straightened. "We pool our resources, build the Crucible, then we use every ship we have to engage the main Reaper force on Earth, where we'll deploy the Crucible to destroy them." The Salarian and Asari exchanged a glance, and the so far quiet Sparatus, didn't look all that impressed. "It's the only way, separate we'll be destroyed, together, we stand a chance." This time, the Turian nodded, if only minimally.

Valern turned his dark eyes to Liara though. "I see, and what then, as my honourable counterpart has asked, does it _do_?"

"I am...not sure." Liara admitted, making Michael grimace even as the Councillors exchanged neutral glances that were _anything_ but encouraging. _Dammit, why must you always be so honest_! "The Prothean text is not yet fully translated, but it does state that the Crucible _will_ destroy the Reapers, and will do so by taking advantage of the Mass Relays. Shepard and I have discussed deploying it here in the Citadel instead of in the Sol system, but given how little we know of how it works, we believe it would be safer to do so as near the Reapers as possible, we only get once chance, after all."

"If we ignore the idea of being close to the largest Reaper force out there as being 'safe'...you're essentially telling us that you have no idea how the weapon works, or even if it _will_ work, and despite the expense, you want us to build it at a time where resources must be carefully considered. That's about it?" Valern asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "May I remind you that the Protheans were defeated, what good will a weapon made by them do if they failed using it?"

"Don't try to educate me in what happened to the Protheans..." Liara merely muttered the words, but Michael heard them and held back a chuckle, then she raised her voice. "They did build the weapon, yes, but they never got to fire it, it was missing a component, the Catalyst, which is some kind of...artefact." She hesitated, shooting Michael a worried glance. "I'm not yet sure what that is..."

"So we're to build a weapon missing a component which nobody knows what or where it is?" Valern shook his head. "And _hope_ that we find it in time? Must I remind you that we're trying to protect _billions_ of people? We cannot trust to _chance_." He looked over to Tevos.

Who quickly spoke, tone soft, yet the words harsh. "It may sound cruel, but with the main Reaper force busy on Earth, the rest of us can shore up our defences..." Behind him, Michael heard James take several steps forward, only to be stopped by Kaidan, muttering words telling the man to calm down. "...the resources at our disposal must be well spent, and that must be on defences that can stop the Reapers at each planet and wear them out."

_You can't wear Reapers out_! Michael took a step forward, finding himself at the edge of the platform, glaring at the Asari and Salarian as he clenched his fists in frustration._ Damn you all_! _Always refusing to do anything but the safest of bets_! It was Udina who spoke first though, his voice full of anger. "You're _abandoning_ humanity! This Council is not _fit_ to hold a position of leadership if they can't even protect its people!"

"You would do the same, were it another species in your position, Councillor." Tevos replied with disgusting calm. "Humanity doesn't end with Earth, you can rebuild."

"Eighty percent of humanity still lives on Earth! _Eighty_!" Udina roared, slamming a fist into his console. "If this had been a mere Asari _colony_, the Council would have acted!"

"That is not true." Tevos replied defensively, shaking her head. "Bluster all you like, but we are _not_ authorizing a joint attack with our fleets on Earth that will leave our own homes defenceless when the attack fails. With time, when our defences have repelled the Reapers, we can look into reclaiming..."

"You think we have _time_!" To Michael's shock, it was _Liara_ snapping the words, making everyone look at her in surprise as the soft-spoken woman started _shouting_. "You think your defences will _hold_! Anyone with the _least_ bit of knowledge of the Protheans know that they were several times over as advanced as us! They were unified into _one_ empire! Fought as _one_! Yet they _failed_! What do you think your defences will do that they couldn't! Do you even _remember_ Sovereign's attack! That was _one_ Reaper, and now we have _hundreds_ of them! And you think a few bunkers and defence satellites will stop them!" The Asari violently shook her head. "No! _I'm_ the Prothean expert and I'm saying that _no_ defence we have can match what the Protheans did to fight the Reapers! I'm saying that the Crucible is the _only_ hope we have! You might not like it, but that's the _truth_! Just listen, for _once_!"

_Wow_...

Staring, Michael took a step away from Liara, her face having gone slightly purple, her chest heaving with heavy breaths as she held her fists clenched to her sides, glaring at the Councillors before them. _Heh, didn't know she had it in her_...

Sadly, the words didn't seem to impress either Tevos or Valern, the former shaking her head. "When we wish to ask an _archaeologist_ for advice on war, we will ask for it. No, we must consider the _present_, not the past, when deciding what to do."_ Ah, so when Valern points out the Protheans lost, it's okay, but when we compare them to us, it's wrong_? Michael grimaced, suddenly remembering why he hated politicians.

Silence, the various groups glaring at one another.

Then, Sparatus of all people, finally spoke. Gone was the anger, the hostility and distrust of Shepard. Instead, his voice was soft, almost hesitant. "While I cannot tell the Asari or Salarians what to do, and with communications as they are, I cannot speak for my people...but may I suggest that we, in a sign of cooperation, at least allow the technicians of C-sec to join Shepard's effort in building the Crucible?" _He's_..._supporting_ _me_! Michael stared at the Turian, but was ignored as the man held the gazes of his two counterparts. "It would cost our people nothing, be a minimal loss for the Citadel's efficiency and at least help with the Crucible's construction, _if_ it actually proves to be our only hope."

The Asari warily watched Sparatus, almost as if she was distrusting her long-time ally all of a sudden, but Valern nodded eagerly. "Yes, minimal expenditure, some extra help to the project in case it proves valuable. It means we're playing all the bases...a good strategy."

"Very well..." Tevos agreed with a shrug, turning back to Michael. "You shall have the aid of the Citadel's own experts, as well as some funding, is that sufficient?"

"Wha..._no_!" Michael shook his head. "I can't believe...you can't keep _doing_ this! No more half-measures! No more waiting and hoping things will magically resolve themselves! We must take decisive action or we'll lose the _galaxy_! Admiral Anderson is right now holding Earth! That gives us an opportunity! An opportunity we need to use to prepare an attack that can stop the Reapers! Stalling them will not work! For every hour that passes, they create more husks and become more powerful! By digging in and letting each race fight on our own you are sealing our doom! Each race will face a foe more formidable than those before them had faced! And while I know the Crucible seems too good to be true and a possible waste of time, if any one of you knew Liara as I do, you'd _know_ she was right! It's a gamble, yes! But I don't see _you_ coming up with a plan!" He scoffed, taking a step back. "Except if you count a plan coming down to 'wait and see'..."

Silence.

Inwardly, Michael was screaming in frustration, for as with Liara, his words seemed to have little effect. Instead of considering what he was shouting, Tevos and Valern was dismissing it with an exchange of a glance.

Finally, Tevos sighed before speaking. "We have already voted on whether to counter-attack to save Earth or not, at behest of Councillor Udina, Shepard. But very well, we'll see if your words have changed our minds."

Obviously, they hadn't.

Michael felt defeated, his shoulders slumping as he watched the voting, listened to Tevos' officious voice, as if she found found some sort of comfort in the familiar procedures. "The Council will now vote on sending a joint fleet of all Citadel races to relieve Earth, as well as supporting the construction of the Crucible project." A pause. "Cast your votes."

Instantly, Udina's console shone green...and was answered by the consoles of Tevos and Valern turning a dark red.

Between them, Sparatus stood, head downcast, staring at his console, mandibles clicking together in frustration, shoulders bunched up. Next to him, the Councillors looked at him, Udina with frustration, the other two evenly.

Michael cocked his head to the side, despite the despair, he felt...curious.

Finally, the Turian slid a claw over the console.

"One in favour, two against, one vote abstained." Tevos spoke, sounding as if she had expected it. "No aid will be sent to Earth, save what the Alliance does at its own volition, nor any resources diverted to the Crucible project, except for what has already been agreed upon." She turned to Michael, her face somewhat sympathetic, though it was of little comfort. "I'm sorry Spectre, but we must do what's best for our people."

_Idiots_..._damn_..._idiots_...

Michael felt himself shaking, fists clenched tight to his sides, jaw clenched, teeth biting down so hard he feared they'd break against each other. His heart hammered in his chest, wanting to burst as his vision became clouded with red rage.

_What is the point of leadership, if they won't lead_!

_I hate you_!

_I hate you_!

_I __hate__ you_!

He reached for his pistol-

A moment later Kaidan was gripping his wrist, making him whirl about to glare at the man, only to get a steady gaze looking back at him. _It_..._won't_ _do_ _any_ _good_..._no_. Nodding, Michael let go of the weapon, making Kaidan step back with an approving nod. Looking back to the Council, Michael found the Asari and Salarian eyeing him warily, meanwhile the Turian looked tired, almost...sympathetic.

Finally, Tevos spoke. "This session is closed, now, you must excuse us, but we have preparations to make."

With that, she and Valern began to walk away, not even giving Michael the courtesy of a final glance. Udina though, gestured Michael to follow as he went the other way, and Michael reluctantly did so.

Behind them, Sparatus remained, staring down at his console.

8

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"Those cowardly, pathetic..._fools_!"

_That about sums it up_...

Michael, too tired to shout, only watched as Udina stalked back and forth in his office, shaking his fist at nothing in particular. "They'd see humanity burn to save their own hides! And then they try to pass it off as a noble deed! I won't allow it! We must put all our efforts into it! The Crucible _will_ be built!"

"Oh?" Michael arched an eyebrow. "You never struck me as someone willing to believe in miracles, you're more the type playing all the angles, if I remember correctly..."

He felt a bit awkward, standing in full combat gear in Udina's office, but as he had told the others, with Cerberus about it was best to be on their guard, something Kaidan had vehemently backed. Though mostly, it was that he was _alone_ with a man he didn't much care for, that had him shifting where he stood, uncomfortable. Liara had, grumbling as she went, gone to continue her studies of the data, Kaidan to analyse EDI back on the Normandy, and James had muttered something about getting drunk...and as such Michael was left alone to pick up the pieces of their failed diplomacy.

"And what do _you_ know!" Udina snapped, his back towards Michael, then he shook his head. "I just want my people saved! Is that so hard to understand!"

"I suppose not..." Michael muttered, realizing he was being a bit too hard on a man under a lot of stress who had done nothing to deserve it. _I can sympathize with him, even_...

"I will make a draft in the colonies, requisition every resource we have, then borrow more." Udina nodded at his own words, turning to face Michael. "Hackett will not find _humanity_ wanting."

"Good to hear." Michael nodded, glad for the _slightest_ bit of good news. "Also, you must be careful, Cerberus is opposing us, I had hoped to get them on our side, but it didn't work out..."

Udina grimaced. "Cerberus, of course, another problem to fix." Then he fixed his gaze on Michael. "I trust you though, you are _not_ with Cerberus, I'm sure of it." Michael nodded, grateful that at least _Udina_ believed him._ I really hope Kaidan will come around_... "That said, they are a secondary concern, they can harm us, but the Reapers will kill us, we need to focus all our efforts on the Crucible, agreed?"

Michael hesitated. Cerberus was _dangerous_, the Illusive Man was not someone who you should ignore...especially not when he could well sabotage their one shot at victory. Yet Udina had a point, the Reapers were the true threat. "Agreed, we'll focus on getting the Crucible operational, as well as finding the Catalyst."

"Yes, you should make that your _first_ priority, but keep me informed so I can secure it once you've found it." Udina nodded eagerly, frowning. "I'll focus on getting the Crucible operational." A sage nod. "Yes, we can do this..."

Somewhat surprised by Udina's eagerness to work as a team, Michael cocked his head to the side. "Yes, but it's a shame about the Council. Building the Crucible on our own...I'm unsure we can do it. And hell, without any allies to help us, the attack could well prove suicidal."

Udina opened his mouth to reply, only to be interrupted by the door to his office opening, revealing Sparatus, who without waiting for an invitation quickly entered before reaching back and hitting the control for the door, locking it. _Interesting_... "Councillor Sparatus? I...did not expect to see you here." Udina muttered, apparently taken off guard. "Where's Lana? She didn't tell me you'd arrived."

"Your secretary was _delayed_ whilst on her way to get coffee..." The Turian replied, already turning towards Michael, eyes worried. "We need to talk."

Michael exchanged a look with Udina, then took a step forward, warily eyeing the Councillor. "Apparently we do...what's your angle?"

"No angle, I'm here to help." Sparatus replied, straightening as he put his hands behind his back.

"Yeah...I noticed you were less..._vocal_ than you usually are around issues surrounding me..." Michael replied, still wary of what the Turian was thinking.

"I know." The Turian sighed, looking away. "I...I thought you were dangerous, uncontrolled and that your idea of the Reapers was complete nonsense, I truly did." He looked back to Michael, holding his gaze. "I was wrong."

"Huh..." Was all Michael managed, taken aback with the honesty, not to mention that the most hostile politician he'd _ever_ met was the one apologising._ I would have put my money on the Asari_...

"Don't look at me like that." Sparatus snorted, raising his chin. "I'm trying to help."

"Okay...I'm just surprised that _you're_ the one who's ready to help, and not any of the others." Michael felt forced to explain, drawing a scoff out of Udina, apparently the politician wasn't entirely sold on the idea yet.

"You humans are still relatively new here, so let me explain." The Turian's tone wasn't chiding, in fact, he almost sounded..._amused_? "The Salarians are intelligence operatives, their political power is based on knowledge, as is their military, they have never entered a war where they haven't been the ones firing the first shot." A shake of his head. "But _this_ time they were taken by surprise, and by an enemy they know next to nothing about. They're out of their element and they know it. It makes them scared, and they lash out, wanting to wait until they know what they're dealing with, time the Reapers won't give them..."

Michael couldn't help himself. "If only someone had told them what to expect..."

Sparatus nodded, a look of guilt in his eyes, then continued. "And the _Asari_ are and always have been the diplomats and politicians, they try to solve things in clever ways, keep the peace and stop anything from rocking the boat. This is good in peacetime and can end wars quickly, as both our races know from our first contact." Sparatus shrugged. "But the Reapers don't even _speak_ to us, all they do is attack and attack, and that with a force neither Rachni nor Krogan could muster. The Asari are therefore also out of their element, and do what politicians do best, they think of their _own_ interests."

"May I just note that _you're_ a politician too." Michael raised a finger to point out the niggling little detail.

The reply was a scoff, Sparatus somehow managing to raise his chin another inch without breaking eye contact. "No, at heart, I, as _any_ Turian, am a _soldier_." Michael straightened, suddenly sensing that the Turian wasn't just hot air when he was talking about helping. "We cannot claim to be as diplomatic as the Asari or as clever as the Salarians, but we have fought off the _Krogan_. We see a problem, and we _fix_ it, at _any_ means necessary." There was a burning light in Sparatus' eyes now. "_That_ is why I will help you, because I _know_ you are right, we can't sit down and wait for the Reapers to come to us, we _must_ act decisively and without mercy."

"Music to my ears..." Michael grinned, his spirit rising.

Udina didn't sound impressed though. "If you are so set on helping, why did you abstain from voting?"

"To what end? We would have been in a stalemate none the less." Sparatus shot Udina an annoyed look. "Besides, I _can't_ vote on such an issue, I'm afraid." He grimaced. "As Councillor, I wield great power, _when_ I can communicate with my people and others, with my contacts and connections with the other races, I nearly wield as much power as the _Primarch_." The Turian shook his head. "But by now communications are difficult, the Asari and Salarians are set on doing nothing and I can't contact everyone I know back in the Hierarchy, not even the Primarch, who is the _only_ one who can order something as drastic as moving Turian forces and resources into a project such as the Crucible as well as your counter-attack. Without his approval, I can't even pressure my colleagues into taking action, because they know my words are without the Turian power they usually have."

"Everyone out for themselves the moment there's a fire...nice solidarity there..." Michael muttered with a low nod, him and the Councillor exchanging a worried look. "But I see what you're going for, you're thinking the Normandy with her stealth drive would be perfect to get a hold of the Primarch, at which point he can get us the Turian forces we need, as well as help us convince the others of a different strategy than what they're currently going for."

"Precisely." The Councillor nodded, looking pleased.

"Unless the Primarch decides _otherwise_." Udina soberly stated, then turned to Michael. "Commander, Palaven itself is under siege, I doubt the Turians will be much help. Our focus really should be on building the Crucible, and more importantly, finding the Catalyst."

"Don't underestimate Turian tenacity." Sparatus scoffed. "We have had our backs to the wall before and endured, our forces are nothing if not tough. Besides, do you _really_ think a crippled Alliance economy will be able to build the Crucible? We Turians might not have the largest one in the galaxy, but it's tightly controlled and we can direct it right into the Crucible project. And our fleet has taken a beating, yes, but it's still the strongest in the galaxy, and will fight to the end to deploy the Crucible when the time comes." He turned to Michael. "Shepard, Primarch Fedorian is a soldier, he'll see the need for the counter-attack like any good Turian, and if not, I guarantee I'll do my utmost to convince him." A ghost of a smile. "We are old friends, he and I."

Michael turned to give Udina a look. "You _did_ say we have to put all our efforts into building the Crucible, this will help immensely."

"_If_ Fedorian agrees to help." Udina retorted, earning him a glare from Sparatus. "I'm just concerned that you'll lose sight of your hunt for the Catalyst..."

"We don't even know where to look yet; Liara is on it, but it'll take time." Michael argued, turning back to Sparatus. "So in the meantime we'll try to strengthen the Crucible project, you can't object to that, can you?"

Udina sighed. "No, I suppose not..."

Shaking his head at Udina's strange behaviour, Michael frowned at Sparatus. "By the way, is it really that bad? I've only heard quick reports so...Palaven, under siege?"

"Might not be as bad as Earth, but that's like comparing a bullet in your knee to one in your spine, sure, one is less of a pain than the other, but that doesn't make it good." Sparatus grimaced. "I hear the death toll is in the millions...and my family...all gone, heard it only two days ago."

Michael took a step back, eyes wide for a moment, then remembered himself and stepped back, patting the Turian's shoulder. "I...I'm sorry to hear that..."

Sparatus' mandibles clicked together in anger. "Not as sorry as the _Reapers_ will be." His eyes shone, with tears or rage, it was hard to tell. "We Turians know there'll be losses and sacrifices, but if one is left standing, then it's been a battle worth waging." A sharp nod. "I _will_ make their deaths mean something, all the pain...I will make it worth it."

Michael nodded, gaze dropping to the floor as he gritted his teeth, well aware of what he had sworn in the Collector base as he watched Zaeed's remains. _I will make it worth it, every death, every loss, all of it will be worth it in the end_..._I_ _swear_ _it_. "You and I...we speak the same language." He offered his hand, gaze steady as he met Sparatus'. "I _will_ get him out."

Sparatus looked down at the offered hand, then smiled and nodded, grasping it.

"I believe you."

8

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for always going that extra mile._


	10. Chapter 10

_She lied to me_...

Michael tried not to think of it, with him walking next to Commander Bailey on the Presidium, going over technical details of the Citadel's defences, the last thing that should be on his mind was a paranoia that would do him no good.

Yet he couldn't shake it. He had, on his way to C-Sec headquarters, been pulled aside by _Miranda_ of all people! Given how he and Cerberus were getting along, he had nearly shoved a gun in her face there and then, who knew if the Illusive Man had lied when telling him that she and Jacob had quit? But Miranda was still, in a way, crew, and there had been an earnest..._anger_ in her way of speaking of the Illusive Man. Letting her pull him aside, and checking his shields and weapons as he did so, Michael had decided to hear her out.

She had warned him about the Illusive Man, about his dangerous plan, about how he was trying to control the Reapers. Michael had already known this, but Miranda's warning had roused his attention, she had been genuinely _scared_ of the Illusive Man, of what he was willing to do to get it done, and if there was one thing Miranda _never_ was, it was scared. She had shivered when she had spoken of it, of how many of the new recruits were taken away only to return..._changed_, how they never took off their armour, how they never _slept_...she had wisely left before she had been taken, not caring to see what 'improvement' the Illusive Man had in mind for her.

_Maybe I should reconsider my agreement with Udina_? _If Cerberus throws a wrench in the workings, it won't matter how much I've done to get the Crucible made_..._no, he's right, the Reapers are more important, they __must__ die_.

Surprisingly, Miranda had also protested the Illusive Man's plan from a _moral_ perspective, something Michael hadn't expected. She had reminded Michael of how she had wanted to implant a control chip into him, but how the Illusive Man had stopped her, to ensure he was fully _himself_, to act as a _human_. Yet now he often spoke of his improvements upon his men, of how he had complete _control_...and how he seemed to have lost sight of _humanity_ in his strive for strengthening Cerberus. Miranda had admittedly changed since they took down the Collectors, she didn't _like_ how she had tried to control Michael back before, she didn't _like_ trying to control her little sister, just as her father had once done, and now the Illusive Man had no qualms about doing so on a massive scale, to _humans_ of all things. It was hypocrisy at an industrial scale.

Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to join him, apparently she was playing a game of cat and mouse with the Illusive Man, and was hitting him where it hurt with a few selected friends of hers. Considering Michael didn't have time to deal with the man, it was a division of labour he could approve of...even if he found himself a bit annoyed with the woman trying to settle a personal score when the fate of the galaxy was at hand, it probably _was_ for the best, as she had called it._ She's always been efficient like that_...

Given how the Illusive Man had started to distrust her, Miranda didn't have much for Michael regarding his plans, but she _had_ managed to steal away with one important bit of information. Michael had been..._wary_ of the information, however much she seemed honest, to attack a Cerberus facility with little to no information on it was dangerous, it could all too easily be a trap. _Yet I trusted her enough to let her take me into a private area, I feel that she's on my side_.._so it's not a trap of her design, and I doubt the Illusive Man could outsmart her and plant fake information on her, not when she's on her guard_. _Besides, can I afford __not__ to check it out_?

Considering the Prothean Crucible was their key to victory, and that any additional data from the Protheans could well change the outcome of the war, Michael _had_ to take the chance. _Can Palaven __hold_? _Yes, the Turians are the strongest military in the galaxy and Earth is still holding, despite it being singled out by the Reaper main force_. _They can hold, but should I really risk losing the Primarch and more of their ships, both of which we need, for some information that may or may not be useful_? Michael held back a grimace. _And Garrus_..._no_..._no, he's alive, and will stay alive, if anyone can take on the Reapers, it's him_. _Besides, personal feelings have no place here, I must do what's strategically sound, and letting Cerberus get away with their information gathering is too dangerous_._ Better not tell Udina about my change of plan_..._and maybe not tell Kaidan __who__ I got my intelligence from. I just wish they had set up base somewhere else_...

Eden Prime...where it all started, Michael was anything but thrilled about going back to that place, to the memories, and _especially_ facing Cerberus and with Kaidan in tow. It made sense, Eden Prime had quite a few Prothean ruins, and a Beacon had been there, but most had assumed that was the end of its archaeological wealth. Cerberus had proven that assumption wrong. Given that it was supposed to be a small facility, hidden from the inhabitants who had bigger problems, Michael had considered simply blowing the whistle, telling Alliance command, or maybe simply Eden Prime's government. Yet with Cerberus without a doubt having infiltrated at least _some_ parts of the Alliance and Eden Prime's government, it was all too easy to imagine marines storming an empty facility, all Cerberus had dug up gone and moved to a safer spot._ So we'll handle it, fast, hard, and out with everything we can get our hands on, swift and painless_.

Yet he was not worried about that, not compared with what had happened next. He had asked Miranda about the Illusive Man's revelation about Michael having been brought back to life using Reaper technology.

She had told him no.

But he had been watching her intently, he had seen the half a moment of hesitation.

_She lied_...

_Does that mean I'm indoctrinated_?_No__, my mind is my own_!_ I __will__ not believe otherwise_! _But_..._how_..._much of me is Reaper technology_? _Am I even human_? _Or just a synthetic, as much alive as one could call EDI's new body_? _If I burnt like it did, would I die, or would it reveal something horrible_? _I_..._I_ _don't __want__ to know_..._I should never have asked Miranda_...

"Of course, we have a lot of patrol cars, but no heavier stuff, too expensive, you know..." Shaking his head, Michael forced himself to look over at Bailey, watching the man lean against a railing as he gestured at the illusion of open sky within the Presidium. "...so it's the usual drill, work with what you have. So no heavier vehicles means giving my tactical squads heavier weapons, but _you_ try convincing the Council C-Sec needs missile launchers..." He shook his head with a sigh, then gestured at Michael to follow along as he continued down the gentle slope, their path flanked by blooming gardens.

With the gardens, though a bit more wild than Michael remembered them, and the blue 'sky' above, the Presidium was a place of beauty. The white walls and finely dressed people only reinforced that picture, even the stalls far ahead on Michael's and Bailey's path seemed to meld into a picture of peace and wonder. The large lakes at the centre of the Presidium glittered under a never-ending sun while white bridges curved softly over them in a criss-crossing pattern, like strands of silvery spider-web above morning dew.

The Presidium looked like a small piece of paradise carved straight within a space station so large it was better described as a small planetoid...and Michael wasn't surprised that people didn't want it marred by the necessities of war, however frustrating such a view of the world might be.

"If we weren't in a war with gigantic death-machines, I'd be inclined to agree, but you remember the battle of the Citadel?" A snort escaped Bailey even as Michael grimaced. "Of course you do, what am I saying? Anyway, we were caught with our trousers down, overwhelmed before we could even mount a resistance, I intend to not let that happen again. The _Council_ seems to forget that we're not just some police force, all in the force have military service and we're packing state of the art weapons...the Citadel fleet may be the first line of defence, but this war will be ugly and up close, if the Reapers gets forces into the Citadel, we will be ready."

"Good, closing the arms _might_ work against the Reapers, given how tough it is, but I don't know, it's _their_ creation, so we shouldn't trust that as a defensive measure." Shaking off his doubts – they did him no good – Michael nodded, glad that there was at least _one_ person on the Citadel with his priorities in order.

"I don't know much about that, I just want to do my job, and I'm not doing it well if I'm not considering all the threats." Bailey replied, tone calm. "Of course, people are taking things in their stride, I swear, this whole Citadel deal is a bad idea."

"Huh?"

"Do you know that more than half of the people on the Citadel have never set foot outside it? To them, places like Palaven and Earth...they're just _names_, they can't grasp what's going on outside of the Citadel. Hell, the battle of the Citadel seems almost forgotten, people feel _safe_ in here, especially when all the comforts of civilised life still exist out here." Bailey stopped, going to the edge of the path and bent over the garden there, picking up a tiny little red flower between his thumb and forefinger, frowning as he looked down on it. "I know better though, we lost some fine men back then, we've yet to recover our losses...and that was just fighting the Geth, this is ten times the threat."

"You can't hire more?" Michael asked, he too frowning at the flower. _They've already forgotten about the battle_?_ How we all nearly got killed_? _They remember the heroics, but not the horror or danger, the collective memory of people is selective_..._no wonder horrors keep occurring, when we always decide to forget them_...

"It's a slow process, and with war going on...soldiers want to fight when their homes are threatened, not guard the 'safest place in the galaxy', as one of my lieutenants put it." Bailey shrugged. "And those men I have are tied up in all manner of law-upholding duties, rather than preparing for the military demands of our situation. Say what you want about them, but some of the people in the wards aren't the 'wait and see' kind of people, the black market is thriving with weapon sales, so I have a large population of trigger happy civilians down there, most who'd never held a gun in their life, and contrary to those in power, they are a bit _too_ eager to fight." He looked over at Michael, a weak smile on his lips. "I have half a mind to hire the lot of them as deputies, train them and make a militia out of them."

"So...why don't you?" Michael asked. "They have weapons, they have motivation, and I'm at the point that I think _any_ additional soldier out there is of use."

Bailey frowned at him. "It's not that simple, Shepard, I just can't go up and hire half a million people and tell them that them buying illegal weapons is _fine_. First of all, the Council would have my head, second, I can't afford to pay _that_ many people, if I did, I would have spent it on some damn tanks."

"Then _don't_ pay them."

This time, it was Bailey's turn to be puzzled. "Huh?"

"Make it an outreach program, or something." Michael shrugged. "Let them have some shooting practice with C-Sec instructors, have them sign up in the militia and all charges of carrying an illegal weapon are dropped. You _did_ say they wanted to protect what's theirs, channel that into something useful...you'll get a lot of extra troops to hand if it comes to a fight." _Cannon-fodder, but that has its uses too_..._God, was there any time I would have recoiled at such a thought_? He shook aside the thought. He didn't have time for morality; a million dead militia-men was a small price to pay if it got them their victory. "No cost for the Council, and they can't well protest you increasing their protection..."

"They probably will, actually, the Council are nothing if not good at finding reasons to complain." Bailey snorted, drawing a weary smirk out of Michael. _Ain't that the truth_... "But yeah, you have a point, it would be a tough sell...but I'll see what I can do." He hesitated. "Though given what you've told me about Cerberus I'd say using the demands for hiring a C-Sec officer – minus the demand for military experience – might be a prudent measure. I don't want half the militia being sleeper agents."

"Good idea." Michael nodded. "And what of C-Sec? You lack heavier guns, but does that mean it doesn't have enough equipment to put up a fight against an invasion?"

"From a Reaper armada? Or an armed riot?" Bailey countered with a shrug. "I've ordered the men to carry bigger weapons when on patrol, _that_ I could get away with. Combat armour...not so much, the Council doesn't want to 'incite disproportional concern' in the citizen." The man and Michael rolled their eyes in sync as they began walking once more, the Commander throwing his flower aside as he looked up, seeing one of his men approaching. "Yeah, it's the usual shtick of keeping up the appearance of everything being in order..."

"Hmmm...I disagree with them, order the troops to get to work armoured from now on." Michael found Bailey throwing him a sharp glance and shrugged. "Spectre authority, tell them I ordered you to do so for their safety or something..."

"I doubt you have the authority to do that, actually." Bailey countered, face serious even as he continued. "But what do I know? I'm just a common Commander in C-Sec, it's not my place to question high-ranking men like yourself..." A shrug. "So I'll just act on good faith then, the fact that when my men have been seen in armour will make it difficult for the Council to order them off, seeing as how that would be seen as them back-pedalling on civil protection while the 'disproportional concern' about the giant genocidal machines is already out of the bag..." Another shrug, this time with a hint of a smile. "...is just a helpful coincidence."

"Wow, you would make a great politician." Michael grinned.

"Don't insult me." Bailey snorted, turning to a man coming up their path, making Michael focus enough on him to realise the man was actually in uniform. "You, Officer...Barbrady, isn't it? Go check on the armoury, I want a full account of the number of combat armours and shield-generators, as well as all other combat gear."

The broad-faced bald man stopped in his tracks, offering a confused salute. "Erm...yes sir, but the armoury master has-"

"Sergeant Watson always 'forgets' a few pieces so he'll get more the next time we make a budget, normally that's a pain, but right now it's a God-send. That said, you check it and you report back to me, now hustle." A narrowing of of Baileys eyes, and the officer was scurrying off.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Michael grinned. "Heh, you got them jumping at your every word, guess playing the grumpy Commander really works for you?"

"Who's playing?" Bailey grumbled, gesturing at Michael to keep walking with him. "I hate the Presidium, too stiff for my tastes. Damn, I miss the Wards...why did you even bring us here?"

"Sorry, figured I'd kill two birds with one stone...well three." Michael admitted, looking over the approaching stalls they were approaching. It was stores for jewellery and clothing, not the weapons and armour he'd later buy on Alliance credit – Much to Udina's frustration – but that was the third bird on his list. Now was the time for the _second_. Looking about the stalls, Michael found his target, a woman in a white doctor's uniform, curly brown hair a top a face not simply dark, but charcoal black, a bit of a rarity in the galaxy. Doctor Chakwas' directions hadn't been perfect, but Michael was glad for it, that meant he had gotten some time to talk to Bailey. "And I just found bird number two...hang on, this'll just be a moment."

With Bailey in tow, Michael approached the woman as she admired a necklace the Salarian owner had offered for inspection. As he did so, she noticed him, pale blue eyes being the last thing to confirm Chakwas description as they widened at the sight of the heavily armoured man coming at her. She nearly dropped the jewellery in shock, then looked down at it in fright, as if wondering if she'd be arrested over it.

"Doctor Wendell?" Michael came to a stop before her, hands behind his back.

"Y-yes?"

"Doctor Chakwas and Doctor Michel have taken a leave of absence from their positions; that makes you the head of your department." Michael watched the woman's eyes bulge in shock and fright. "Are you ready for that responsibility?"

"I...I...wait, aren't you...Co-Commander Sh-Shepard?"

"Yes or no, are you ready for it?" Michael pushed, he didn't have time for hesitation from himself, and he _certainly_ didn't have time for the hesitation of others.

"Y-yes." The woman managed a nod, swallowing, not looking in the least ready.

_Good enough_. "Good, I've already used my Spectre status to put aside paper work involved for the duration of this crisis; you are now the head of your department. Furthermore, you've been given leave to seize all medicinal supplies from passing ships not going to a war-zone. Whether you buy them or simply have Bailey here confiscate them, is up to you." The woman's eyes managed to widen even further at the words. "Good luck." Michael gestured for Bailey to continue as they brushed past the staring woman. "Anyway, I'm not going to tell you what to do, Bailey, but concentrating C-Sec around the Presidium would be a good move."

Chuckling, Bailey caught up with him. "Spectres can cut through paperwork? You won't mind passing by my office later?" A snort, the man talking to himself. "Of course you can't, stupid duties..." Another snort. "And yes, yes, of course the Presidium gets the first pick of the men, protect the ambassadors and Council and all that..."

"Nuts to that." Michael snorted. "Sparatus might have offered me help, but it's clearly in his own interests, and the others seem intent to be useless to me." Bailey frowned at his choice of words, but Michael wasn't about to apologise, he was done with trying to be polite. "Besides, with communications as they are it's easier – not to mention more productive – to talk directly to the real leaders of the various races. No, I'm done with them, they're useless. That said, the Presidium not only houses vital controls for the Citadel, but is the centre of it, which means it's the perfect point from which to launch a counter-attack from any incursion. The Citadel might hold the Council, but it's also a refuge and a fortress, that has its own worth."

"Very well, I'll agree to do what we already know I should do then." Bailey shrugged. "That said, maybe you should...oh, hello? Can I help you with something?"

Michael blinked, following Bailey's gaze...and blinked again. _Thane_!

"Hello, Commander." The Drell smiled, then put up a fist against his mouth to cough, dark eyes darting over to Bailey. "I'm sorry to intrude, sir, it was not my intention to make myself visible so soon, but I fear I have an appointment in the hospital, and I can therefore wait no longer to talk to Shepard here. If you'd do me the courtesy, that is."

"It's okay Bailey, he's a friend." Michael held up a hand, eyes never leaving the alien. "Thane, I thought you'd be...well...dead by now." Guiltily, Michael knew he hadn't given Thane even a thought, despite the man being his crew, Michael had simply had too much on his plate, priorities had to be made.

The Drell looked...smaller, his back slightly hunched. The red parts of the skin across his throat also looked paler, like a wilting flower losing its lustre. His smile was as polite as Michael remembered it, perhaps a bit more tired. "Of course, my allotted time is long time passed. However, had I died, you'd have received an invitation to the funeral, Commander. Not that I'd expect you to have time for it, considering the circumstances, it would merely be a last act of courtesy from me."

Michael grimaced, once more feeling a pinprick of guilt. _Of course you would_..._and of course I wouldn't_. Clearing his throat, Bailey took a step back. "Well I have work to do, I'll send you those copies as you requested, Shepard, and I expect some sort of report in turn when there's information that might interfere with Citadel security. Take care now." Bailey shot the Drell a polite, if guarded, nod before turning and marching off, hand already moving to his ear as he went back to his regular duties.

"I see you've wasted no time getting to work." Thane watched Bailey go before turning his head to look back to Michael. "The news is all about Earth being attacked. I'm glad you survived, and have faith that the Reaper menace will soon be no more because of that."

Michael chuckled. "Well I'm glad _someone_ does." Frowning, he eyed Thane's hunched appearance. "And how are you doing...?"

"As you can see, not too well." Thane smiled, a smile turning into a quick little cough. "It was to be expected, there is no need for concern, my son visits often and I feel I've done my share to make the galaxy brighter. What regrets have I but for deeds that cannot be undone?"

"Ah...well..._good_..." Michael replied awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot, mentally already going over the list of purchases he needed to make while a guilty little voice in his head was telling him to pay attention. "I'd offer for you to come along, but I'm guessing that's not really an option..." The Drell smiled politely at that, but didn't comment. "I'm sorry, I haven't asked if you need help? I mean maybe the Hanar can help or something and I could go..." Michael grimaced, shaking his head at Thane's friendly smile. "I'm sorry Thane, I...I just don't have that time, I need to..." The Drell coughed, only for his smile to widen, showing a hint of teeth. "I'd love to help, I would, but there's _billions_ of people that need my help, I know that we could spare the time against the Collectors, to strengthen the spirit of the team, but right now-"

"Commander." The Drell interrupted, smiling as he moved closer, giving Michael's armoured shoulder a pat. "I merely came by to see you, to wish you luck."

"I...oh." Michael blinked, a confusing mix of guilt and relief flooding him at missing such an obvious alternative. "Well...thanks." He smiled, not quite genuinely since he knew just how much luck he'd need to even secure Turian support._ I will get it done though, the Reapers will __not__ win while I draw breath_.

The Drell watched him for a moment, making him fidget as the Drell's brow creased in concern. "Commander, it's not my place to tell you how to do things, but being one who once lost himself in his profession, I'd urge you not do so yourself...it's not a good place to be in." Michael blinked. Huh? _I'm_..._not_ _doing_ _that_... He held back a grimace. "Still, it's good to see you, and if the burden is heavy upon you..." The Drell's gaze darted across Michael's features before he with a grunt straightened. "How may I help you, Commander?"

"I..." Michael hesitated, then managed a smile. "It's not actually Commander any more, I'm not Alliance..."

"You'll _always_ be the Commander, Shepard." Thane almost snapped, though as much within his usual polite behaviour as possible. "Now ask, and I'll do my utmost to help."

"Well..." Again, Michael hesitated, it didn't feel right to use the dying man's help when he clearly deserved a rest from conflict. _And since when did the Reapers care about what's right_? _If you want to beat them, you must do what's necessary_. "...I _could_ use some help from someone in your position."

"Want me to speak with those in the afterlife? Or the hospital?" Thane smiled. "Or are you perhaps thinking about my old contacts?" A short nod. "Of course you are, I don't have many left, but if they can help you, I'm at your disposal."

"Good." Pushing aside his feelings on the matter, Michael moved close to the Drell, close enough to taste the stench of medicines upon the man. Holding his head bowed, Michael lowered his voice. "Cerberus and I are now at war, I'm afraid our Alliance didn't hold."

"Not surprising, given the Illusive Man's disposition towards treachery, though yes, it's a shame to gain another foe in the face of the Reapers. Clearly, the Illusive Man has his priorities wrong, as well as being foolish, in choosing to oppose you." Thane nodded.

"He's ten times the pain of a politician, I admit." Michael shrugged. "That said, I have to concentrate on the Reapers, though I have a little thing...no, the less you know, the safer you are. Safe to say, with me busy with my plan to stop the Reapers I cannot be attentive of Cerberus' dealings, and that makes me more than a little nervous. So if you could just, you know, keep an ear to the ground, see if you can hear something, I'd appreciate it."

"It will be do-" Thane coughed. "-done." A soft smile, hand coming forth. "It was good seeing you, Commander, I wish you well."

Michael took the hand, surprised by the weak grip of the Drell as he shook it. "And I you."

Nodding, Thane released him and turned, slowly walking in the general direction of the hospital, all smoothness in his movements gone, replaced by a wobbling walk as he held his side.

_I should_...

Michael took a step forward, then stopped himself.

_I should get to work, yes, he'll be fine_...

Turning, Michael moved towards where he knew he could get his weapons, his list finalised.

8

8

8

A low grumble resounded through the office.

"Something amiss, Councillor?" Kaidan asked, standing with his hands behind his back before Udina's desk as the seated Councillor eyed whatever was on his console.

He had recently finished his investigation of EDI, and was pleased to note that Cerberus had no control over her._ Which means if she kills us, it'll be of her own free will_..._oh well, that's the case with any sentient being, and EDI would at least be swift about it_. It had been a hard call between doing that and joining Shepard to meet with Udina, but given that at least Udina was trustworthy, Kaidan knew he would get an accurate debriefing of the situation later...which he probably would right now, with him so surprisingly being called up to the Councillor's office.

"I'm just signing these bills your Commander has sent me." Udina shook his head, clearly annoyed.

"He's not my Commander, sir." Kaidan felt the need to correct the man, tensing where he stood.

"Ah yes, I read Hackett's report." Udina glanced up at Kaidan, face neutral. "A regrettable decision, very...contradicting of a man supposed to do what it takes to stop the Reapers..."

Kaidan frowned, something in Udina's tone bothering him. He tensed up even more, torn between old loyalties and the fact he didn't _like_ Shepard _or_ his decision. He chose to be diplomatic. "He gave his reasons."

"That he did." Udina agreed, then shook his head. "A risky choice, and one that doesn't give the best impression after he's just been incarcerated and his association with Cerberus is general knowledge."

"He's likely not with them, sir." Kaidan argued. He wouldn't say it was a big risk of his old Commander being with Cerberus, but neither could he rule it out. Still, he kept his face neutral, not about to bother Udina with his speculations and theories; he worked within the law. _If_ Shepard was with Cerberus, Kaidan would have the proof for that, otherwise he was not about to act.

"Yes, I suppose not..." Udina waved the issue aside, though Kaidan sensed the politician hadn't said his last on the issue. "Would you _look_ at this? The cost for outfitting the Normandy armoury is ridiculously high, I know it's non-standard equipment, but some of these costs are just staggering."

"The Normandy needs to operate at peak efficiency, sir, our job is far from over." Kaidan wasn't about to argue Shepard's choice of giving them the best equipment they had. Kaidan might prefer the more standard weapons, but it was always good to come prepared. And if there was one thing Kaidan admired about Shepard, it was the man's ability to make good plans, be it improvised or long-term.

"I know, I know, I'm just annoyed that with the loss of Earth and the entire Alliance _infrastructure_ the equipping of _one_ Frigate with extra weapons is a painful gouge in our finances. Guess I'll have to use some from my private account..." The Councillor shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck even as Kaidan felt a shadow of a smile on his lips. _Udina might be difficult to deal with, but he's always ready to do what it takes_... "What's a cane, anyway!"

"I think you mean Cain, sir. A one use only portable...calling it a nuclear weapon is inaccurate, but most do."

"Well it's a hell of a cost for one shot..." Udina grumbled, then looked up at Kaidan. "Never mind, this is not your headache, you have a bigger one, I believe."

"Sir?"

"_Shepard_, son." Udina snapped, making Kaidan grimace as he realised the direction the conversation was taking. "I know you might be trusting him..." _Erm_..._not_..._quite_. "...but I don't have the luxury of being able to trust my _gut_, the fate of _billions_ hang on my decisions, and I _cannot_ take risks with that."

Kaidan hesitated. "I...do not quite understand, sir."

"He is crucial for our war effort, is he not? One man...it's _not_ good from a strategic standpoint, and _certainly_ not good considering _who_ he _is_." Udina paused, regarding Kaidan, who forced himself to remain impassive. "He's supposed to go to Palaven and get their Primarch out of the war so they can prepare Turian forces and resources to help us, something I _fully_ endorse...but I'm worried he might get...sidetracked. I'm hoping you could keep him _on_ track."

"Of course, anything for you...though it might prove difficult, I have little in the way of command of the Normandy or its crew." Kaidan tried to keep his dislike of that fact to a minimum.

"Ah yes, the rogue Spectre taking command of the most advanced Alliance cruiser, as well as her crew, using his rank and position to bludgeon his way through any problem and then demand you do his bidding." Udina snorted, gesturing at his terminal.

Kaidan frowned._ True, but a bit harsh_... "He's not rogue as far as we know, and he's well within his rights to-"

"Yes, yes, Spectre and all." Udina shook the protest away, glaring at his console. "And again, yes, as far as we _know_...do I need to repeat myself about me not being able to take risks?"

"No, sir." Kaidan nodded. While he didn't like being unable to trust your fellow soldiers, Udina was right. "I understand, sir."

"No need to be so official after what we've been through, Kaidan, sit." Udina smiled at him, offering the chair Kaidan had never even considered taking. He was but a Major, standing in front a Councillor, after all, there were precedents.

Hesitating, Kaidan sat down, wondering what Udina had in mind. "I take it then, you have something you wished to discuss with me, si-" Kaidan caught himself from using the title. "-since you called me up here."

"I do indeed." Udina nodded as he pushed his console to the side so he could lean over the desk, eyes hard. "When I spoke of Shepard getting sidetracked, I meant him being sidetracked by Cerberus." Kaidan's face screwed up in disgust, making Udina raise his hands to calm him. "I know, I know, they're a disgusting group, but the Catalyst and Crucible is what's _important_, you understand this, yes?" Kaidan offered a reluctant nod. "But Shepard might not, he might go after Cerberus, and that would be a waste of time, which could prove lethal to the galaxy at this stage."

"I...suppose you're right." Kaidan slumped in his chair, if it was anything he'd be against, it was agreeing _not_ to attack Cerberus, but Udina's words made sense, they had to do what was logical. "Fighting them is important, but the Reapers are more so."

"Exactly." Udina nodded, looking pleased, then frowned. "There's also the fact that he might go after Cerberus for other things than to _fight_ them."

"Well...we've been through this, he's _very_ likely not with Cerberus any more." Kaidan protested, though hesitantly, knowing all too well his own mind on the matters. _Too much of a risk too much of a risk, too much of a risk_...

"I don't take chances like that." Udina snapped, shaking his head. "The fact of the matter is that Cerberus not only brought Shepard back from the dead, but apparently according to _your_ report, he claimed to have an _alliance_ with them before they started shooting at you on Mars."

"An _unsteady_ Alliance, I might add, and him arguing with the Illusive Man made it quite clear they were not seeing eye to eye." Kaidan argued, feeling dirty for talking about the man behind his back, even as he was glad he could bounce his thoughts off Udina.

"We know better than most how good Cerberus is at trickery, Kaidan." Udina muttered, reminding Kaidan of their previous engagement with the group, as well as of his own thoughts on the matter of Michael arguing with the Illusive Man. "Maybe they really _did_ break their alliance there, _probably_, but maybe _not_...and even if they did, how could we trust him, when Cerberus _rebuilt_ him? Who _knows_ what kind of things they did to him? He could be their puppet without any of us knowing..." Kaidan struggled not to hold his breath as he found Udina's thoughts mirroring his own, the fear of Shepard being something else, something dangerous, without him even knowing it... The politician before him shook his head, dejected as he stared at his hands. "I fear for what Shepard might do, if he's just waiting for the right moment, or if the one controlling him is...I fear for the _galaxy_." Looking up, he caught Kaidan's gaze. "I don't _trust_ him, Kaidan."

"I...I..." Kaidan hesitated. _It's not right, he's done so much, for all his shortcomings, he's the __best__ we have_..._but when has the world cared for what's right_? _It's up to people like us to __make__ it right_. "...I understand your concern, and...well I understand it."

"Of course you do." Udina offered a soft smile. "Which is why I need you to keep an eye on him, make sure he focuses on what's _important_. Analyse his every move, make sure it makes sense. Report to me about his movements, just to be safe, two heads are better than one, right?"

"I...yes, that's probably for the best." Kaidan nodded in agreement, then grimaced. "Although...I hate to say it, but I can't do much to influence his actions, he's a Spectre, untouchable..."

"Yes, damn that rank, wish it had never been invented..." Udina snorted as he looked away, making Kaidan nod in agreement. He had _never_ liked the idea of the Spectres, no matter _who_ held that power, it was too much. "Although..." Udina smiled, looking back to Kaidan. "...there is _one_ way you can get a say in what he does..." Kaidan felt his stomach sink at the look the Councillor gave him. "..._join_ the Spectres."

"I...what!" Kaidan spluttered before he could contain himself. "Sir, we've discussed the faults of the Spectres many times! It's a horrible office, riddled with dangers not only for the Spectre himself but for anyone in his _surroundings_! No man should be above the law like that! And you want me to _join_ them!"

"All true, but this is the _real_ world. The Spectres _exist_, and however much they have gotten new rules to better adhere to our rules and morals, they are still a loose cannon." Udina nodded, the fingers of his hands interlocking before him. "That said, you are a man of character, one who knows how to do things right, you would not take the short cuts and easy ways out that Saren...and even Shepard...did. You would _never_ do wrong, you would _never_ attack the Council, ally with the Geth ..._or_ join Cerberus _or_ steal a ship from the Alliance. You would do the _right_ thing with the power you'd been given." Udina leant forward, words low, making Kaidan lean forth to pick them up. "And...you would have authority to hold Shepard responsible for his actions...just in case."

"I...you have a fair point there..." Kaidan hesitated. "But becoming a Spectre takes _weeks_, all the paperwork alone-"

"Already filled out." Udina tapped into his omni-tool...and a holographic projection of what without a doubt was the Spectre contract, the signatures of Udina and the other Councillors already on the document, and Kaidan's name ready to be signed upon it. "Yes, I took the liberty of arranging this ahead of you arriving, with the Reapers here, the Council needs _all_ the Spectres they can get, and _you_ have proven a capable man that would do your utmost for our cause."

"I..." Kaidan hesitated, not liking the idea of becoming a Spectre one bit. T_hough it __would__ give me_..._options_.

Sensing his hesitation, Udina offered a reassuring smile. "Spectre is just a title and some privileges, you can choose not to use them, and _what_ you do with them is up to _you_..."

"You're right, sorry, I am just...overwhelmed...it's a great honour after all." Kaidan nodded, despite not feeling too eager to join the ranks of the Spectres as he stared at the document before him.

"And one honour that could very well save the _galaxy_..." Udina whispered, then cocked his head to the side, smiling gently. "..._if_ it came to that, that is."

"Yes, you're right...just to be safe..." Kaidan nodded, hand reaching out as his omni-tool began to glow, transferring his signature. "I'm honoured to become a Spectre, to do what..." He grimaced and looked away, a pang of guilt as he thought of Shepard. "...might have to be done."

"Good..." Udina deactivated his omni-tool, his other hand coming forth to pat Kaidan's arm, voice soft. "...you've made the right decision..."

"Thank you, Councillor." Kaidan rose to his feet, feeling a bit wobbly as the importance of what he had just done began to sink in._ I'm a Spectre_..._god, I'm out of my depth_...

"No, thank _you_, Spectre." Udina rose to his feet, smiling. "I have _complete_ faith in you doing the right thing, you'll do me proud."

"I'll do my best..."

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for shouting at imaginary beings..._


	11. Chapter 11

Eden Prime.

Liara found herself shuddering as she looked over Lieutenant Cortez's shoulder, watching the greenery of the garden world whiz past below them. It looked so beautiful, so peaceful...yet upon the thriving world there was the cancer of Cerberus hiding on a secret facility, and from the Normandy Liara had still managed to see the scar from when Sovereign had landed upon its soil over three years ago. A beautiful planet that deserved neither the past actions against it, nor the current. _Just like the rest of the galaxy_...

Liara grimaced, well aware of what was happening on Earth, on Palaven, and many more colonies...a brutal slaughter of people that had never done anything to deserve such an evil. As the Shadow Broker, Liara knew better than most of how low people could sink, of what dark secrets and wanton acts of cruelty people were capable of. Yet...she also knew of what kindness they were capable of, of their selflessness. Perhaps the later _was_ less prevalent than the former, perhaps people in general were brutal and selfish...but deserving the Reapers, they did not. _They __must__ be stopped, the Reapers are despicable_. Liara hesitated, wondering if the thought was her own, or Michael's, a remnant of their melding, of how his mind – warped by the Prothean beacon and Cipher – had _overwhelmed_ hers with his being...she shot the man a shy look.

He looked tense, his dark armour nearly spotless, matted to the point that it seemed to _absorb_ the lights of the lamps above, rather than reflect it. His eyes shone though, a cold light within them as he stared at the door to the shuttle, as if able to see right through it._ So angry_..._with Cerberus, with the Reapers, with his allies_..._I worry for you_... The bandoleer across his chest reminded her of their time hunting Saren, and as then, it was heavy with grenades, this time with what seemed to be a variety of them, enough of them to make Liara wonder if he intended to blow up the Reapers all on his own. The heavy Revenant on his back and the Viper rifle looked as new as his armour, and Michael had expressed a strange urge to 'break them in'...a part of him Liara had never really understood. _Or perhaps never __wanted__ to understand_... He had also grabbed one of the more newly developed guns, a N-seven Eagle...which combined with all his other weapons made him more of a walking armoury than a person.

Liara didn't much care for him like that, she had always preferred his thinking side, his emotions and even humour, over what most people thought defined him.

She herself was far more moderately equipped. A light Locust submachine gun as well as the Phalanx she had come to prefer during her travels was enough, as was the light armour in polished white that Michael had bought for her, a perfect suit for one who preferred barriers as protection and wanted the ease of movement that made using biotics at their full potential so much easier.

EDI was almost as lightly equipped, and the fact that the Normandy's computer was fighting with them with a body was...a unique experience. Her cybernetic body didn't require armour, she had therefore only to pick up a Tempest submachine gun and a powerful Paladin pistol, and was then ready to move out. The machine was currently holding the Tempest in her hands, looking completely at ease among the organics ready to fight, the fact that Kaidan shot her the odd look while Vega kept on staring didn't seem to phase her.

And Vega...the man almost looked as heavily equipped as Shepard, not only was his armour exceedingly bulky, but the belt around it was brimming with grenades. The bronze shotgun of a design Liara didn't even recognize, strapped to the small of his back, looking as robust as he did, the pistol on his hip, a brutish Carnifex, did not look in the least out of place there. The man was also holding his assault rifle in his hands, though Liara doubted calling a _grenade launcher_ an assault rifle was correct...

"I don't like this." Kaidan spoke up, making Liara look over to the man standing in the corner of the shuttle, one hand holding onto a metal railing in the ceiling while the other let the Avenger rifle hang down low enough to nearly touch the floor. Liara sighed, noticing the way the man was looking at Michael. She _liked_ Kaidan, or she _used_ to, but his constant criticism of Michael – however justified at the time – was wearing thin. "We're supposed to go to Palaven and save the Primarch, what good does this do?"

"I'm surprised _you'd_ be the one saying that." Michael chuckled, not even giving the man a glance as he kept staring at the door. "I thought you'd relish an opportunity to kick Cerberus in the teeth?"

"Normally, yes, but we have a job to do, we should stay focused on our objective." Kaidan retorted, looking a bit agitated.

"Which is...?" Michael asked, a teasing undertone in his voice, making Liara roll her eyes as she inwardly smiled. _If only I could find amusement in such odd things as a brewing conflict_...

"To get a hold of the Catalyst and make the Crucible functioning, getting the Turians help would be a great boon to that end." Kaidan argued, biting his lower lip before continuing. "Not..._gallivanting_ around like this...we don't have time for it."

"Gallivanting?" Michael shot Kaidan an all too friendly look. "Now you sound like Udina." The biotic flinched at that, making Liara inwardly groan. By now it was well known that Kaidan was a Spectre as well...and while Michael hadn't exactly disagreed with it, she got the distinct impression that he wasn't exactly _impressed_ by the honour placed upon the other man. "The Turians will hold for a bit while longer, if they can't they're hardly of use to us, are they?" Liara grimaced, she was worried for Garrus, and though she knew Michael was too, the man didn't show it. Kaidan for one looked ready to give an angry retort at the cold statement, but Michael was faster. "But Cerberus are wily, I won't let them escape with whatever they've found, so we'll hit them now, hard and fast, it'll be over before you know it."

"Fair enough, but you don't even know _what_ they've found, if _anything_." Kaidan retorted, shaking his head. "How do you know this isn't a waste of time?"

"I don't." Michael shrugged. "I _don't_ know if they've found anything, or if it's useful." He shrugged, shooting Kaidan an amused look. "But given that the Prothean crucible is the key to our victory, and Cerberus is digging something up among Prothean ruins, don't you think there is a _slight_ chance it's something of value?" A snort. "It's worth the risk, I assure you."

"Taking risks and chances is necessary during war, I agree." Kaidan sighed. "But not more than necessary, and with us at war with the Reapers, we should focus on what we _know_ will pay off." He shook his head, looking away. "I just think we as Spectres have an obligation to consider the optimal course of action..."

"Don't lecture me about what it means to be a Spectre." Michael snorted, eyes narrowing at the other man, who refused to look back. "You think the title of Spectre makes a lick of difference between you and I? Spectres aren't _promoted_, they're _not_ trained _or_ a _privilege_...they're _made_. You think the Council naming you a Spectre means anything? A Spectre isn't one because the Council says so; the Council says you're a Spectre because you _already_ are one...and one day you'll understand that. A Spectre is not a title, it's a person ready to do what it takes for the sake of the galaxy, the Council making you one doesn't mean a thing."

"Ah, so you would have done all you've done without the Council's help and their privileges?" Kaidan snorted, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Yes." Michael stoically replied, holding the other man's gaze. "Admittedly, some things would be harder without their legal help, but as a Spectre it's my _job_ to find a way past such obstacles."

"And you don't think I deserve this title, that's what you're saying?" There was tension in Kaidan's voice, making Liara exchange a worried look with Vega, the two shifting uneasily at having to listen to the two men's exchange.

"You're one of the best soldiers out there, you have a cool head and don't hesitate to make decisions, even when they might result in your death." Liara grimaced. _Virmire_... "So _yes_, you make an excellent Spectre." _Huh_! Kaidan blinked, and then blinked again as Michael moved closer, eyes narrowing. "That said, this war against the Reapers is _my_ war, and I'll have no one question how I wage it."

"Ah yes, because not one of the billions affected have any say-"

"No." Michael raised his hand, pointing a finger in Kaidan's face as his eyes shone with anger. "This is my war because I'm the _only_ one equipped to handle them, because I'm the only one who _truly_ knows them." He hesitated, then glared at the other man. "You might think that makes me untrustworthy, but you have no _choice _in the matter. I'll drag us to victory by my _teeth_ if need be, and I will _not_ allow anyone to slow me down by questioning my every move."

Silence.

The two men glaring at one another.

Then Kaidan softly replying. "Who has no choice in the matter? Me, or _you_?" Michael looked away, grimacing. "How did you come to know about this place anyway? Did the Illusive Man tell you about it before betraying you?"

"I...got it from a trustworthy source." Michael replied, then shot Kaidan an angry look. "You know, from a _friend_, I have a good supply of those..."

This time it was Kaidan's turn to flinch, reminding Liara that the man after leaving the Normandy had been busy first recovering and then doing undercover work for the Alliance; lonely work...as she was well aware of.

Silence.

"So..." James awkwardly cleared his throat, making Liara arch a brow as she looked over at him, finding him giving EDI a curious look. "...bet it feels strange, going down on a planet with guns and all, you know...like a marine, instead of...you know...a _ship_."

"I have eighty-six recorded combat videos from Shepard during missions, as well as several hundred from various other sources, have studied squad tactics with Shepard's assistance and am well aware of the capabilities of my hardware." EDI replied, looking calm.

"Erm..." James scratched the back of his head. "...so...?"

"I do not feel 'strange' about it."

"Ah...good, good..." James looked away, eyes on the door at the side of the shuttle as he awkwardly shuffled back and forth. "Yeah..."

Again, the silence descended upon them.

Then, Cortez finally spoke up. "Approaching drop point. We've gone undetected, so you have a clean deployment."

"Good work, Steve." Michael nodded, shooting the back of the shuttle-pilot's head a smile. "Take us down and then retreat to a safe distance."

The pilot didn't answer, instead Liara felt a lurching feeling in her stomach as the shuttle came to a stop before swiftly moving downwards, the door already opening, showing a fertile forest before them, the grass of the clearing they'd found bending under the force of the jets of the shuttle.

Michael wasted no time. "Go, go, go!" The man leapt forth before the shuttle had settled, Revenant rifle in his hands sweeping left and right, swiftly joined by James' rifle as the marine caught up with him. The pair of them dropped onto one knee in the tall grass, tracking for targets that the sensors of the shuttle had told them didn't exist, but Liara wasn't surprised Michael wasn't willing to risk it, Cerberus was good at hiding, after all...

A moment later the shuttle settled upon the grass, making Kaidan rush out, Avenger rifle raised and ready as a shimmer of biotic energy surrounded him. Behind him Liara and EDI followed, the two 'women' scanning the nearby tree line even as they realised there were no hostiles. After all, if there had been, they would already have been under fire.

Behind them, the shuttle was already lifting off, the hiss of the engines muffled as much as current engineering could allow, yet, as Liara suspected he would, Michael took no risks and waved the others to follow as he rushed for the cover of the trees.

"Advance quietly now, keep an eye on the ground, if they receive a warning, we might lose whatever they have found." Michael's words made the others nod, eyes darting down to check the ground for mines and sensors as much as for simple things like dry twigs...

Swallowing, Liara drew her Locust, feeling a strange sense of nostalgia as the group began to advance.

_Goddess, I've almost forgotten the time when I __didn't__ need to carry a gun_...

8

8

8

"Three buildings, not much of a base..." Michael muttered.

Lying in the grass to the man's right, with the rest of the team there too, Liara had a good view of the Cerberus facility; the binoculars in her hands allowing her to zoom in to the point she could pick up the individual stitches in the lab-coats of the scientists below. "I don't know, when digging for Prothean ruins, you usually have to dig a lot of tunnels, there could be a massive network beneath that little base."

"Like an anthill, huh?" James muttered, shifting where he lay. "Ever seen what happens when you throw an unwelcome guest into those? I don't like the idea of being swarmed..."

Liara threw him a glance. _Anthill_? _Something like_..._with Rachni_?_ Damn, Garrus is the one good with human sayings and the like_..."I doubt there'll be a swarm of Cerberus personnel in those tunnels, it's not necessary for this kind of work." She gestured at the small building at the far side of the base. "Besides, I think they're done there and shutting the tunnels down. See them taking down the elevator?"

They were indeed. Three Cerberus engineers in suits of mostly black cloth were working together, omni-tools glowing as they calmly took down the left half of the building, revealing a large elevator shaft of blackened steel girders that they were now working on taking apart. The other half of the building was still standing though, walls and door intact.

"I'm guessing they're storing whatever they found down there in what's left of that building. I've worked with similar outfits during my archaeologist days. That would make the building on the right the living quarters..." Liara turned her gaze to the building in question, finding the white building there to be nothing but a pre-fabricated block of steel, something you could see in hundreds of colonies. She knew it sported the bare essentials for living wherever it was erected, but little else; she had lived in those before, after all. Unfortunately, it was also the largest of the three buildings...

"So if it's just those six scientists..." Michael nodded at the last building, smaller and slightly rectangular pre-fabricated building with a large window facing the group. Through it they could see six men and women in white coats sitting around a table, their animated discussion leaving the food on the table they were sharing ignored. "...we're looking at around twenty soldiers opposing us."

"Had worse odds." James grunted, hands moving to check his grenade launcher.

"Don't get cocky, these are skilled soldiers." Kaidan warned, pointing at the doorway to the living quarters, or rather, at what was flanking it. "And see those turrets? They're active and will shred us if we get too close."

"True enough, we'll have to be clever, there's no need to take risks here." Michael nodded. "See that officer?" All eyes went to the man in the white helmet, watching him stand in the middle of the small base, gesturing at three other troopers as they moved to stack a bunch of steel containers at the left side of the facility. Clearly, they were done and preparing to leave the planet. "He'll be my prime target, I'm the one with the sniper rifle, after all." Pulling up his viper rifle, the man grimaced. "Damn, wish Garrus was here..."

_As do I_. Liara gave his shoulder a pat, but the man barely seemed to notice it as James gave a soft whistle. "It's a bit of a distance down to that base, and their Centurions carry shield-generators...think you can make it?"

"Hopefully, losing him early will make for some chaos." Michael replied, then shot the marine a grin. "If not, we still have _you_ for that duty...think you can make it rain grenades down on that base? Preferably near the door to their barracks?"

"Does a bear shit in the woods?" James retorted with a chuckle, his weapon humming as he tapped off the safety. "Say the word."

"Good, I'll go for the officer, then those engineers at the far side before they try to destroy whatever they've gotten their hands on. Kaidan, you take Liara and EDI down this slope and storm the nearby building, with a foothold on their base we can pin the enemy down and pick them off."

"What about the scientists?" The biotic asked, freeing his Avenger.

"Take them captive if you can, but use your judgement. I want that building in our hands before the enemy can react." Michael brought his binoculars back to his eyes, looking down at the base. "None are looking this way...now! Get going!"

Liara obeyed on instinct, she, Kaidan and EDI all jumping out of the grass before they started to rush forward, Liara barely believing what she was about to do, despite the fact that by now should be _used_ to the violence and death._ Goddess, let this be swift, let us find something of use_... Liara's legs pumped faster, a sudden eagerness to find whatever Cerberus had uncovered urging her on.

They were swiftly approaching the end of their slope, the nearest building growing in size at an alarming rate, making Liara able to pick up the details of the Cerberus scientists without binoculars. Watching them eat, laugh, one arguing as he waved a datapad before another man, a woman looking out the windows, her eyes widening in shock, mouth opening to scream...

Above them, there was a crack of Michael's sniper rifle.

"Go!" Kaidan's body became aglow...and his hand shot forth as he hurled a ball of biotic energy forth. With a crash, it shattered the window, sending the shards flying into the dinning hall suddenly erupting into chaos. The woman who had spotted them shot to her feet, sleeve guarding her face from the flying glass as she lunged for the door at the other side of the room.

Liquid fire was suddenly pouring through Liara's veins, a cold shiver going up her spine as her head throbbed with a single heartbeat...and then her hand shot forth before violently jerking back. A cry...and the fleeing woman was enveloped in a biotic field, her legs uselessly kicking at the air as the dark orb of a singularity appeared over her head. Another woman tried to rush to her aid, grabbing at a kicking ankle, only to be hoisted into the air herself as the singularity caught her too, its gravity far greater than that of the planet.

Two of the men flew to their feet, kicking their table over to face the group as they drew Predator pistols hidden in their clothing, eyes narrowed in anger rather than fear. EDI's Tempest gave off a swift tapping sound...and the man on the left collapsed atop the table edge as the other spun and fell to the floor, their blood spraying over the two airborne women.

Snarling, another of the men simply launched himself at Liara, hand holding aloft a knife still stained with mustard, only to be knocked on his back by Kaidan's shoulder. "Don't move!" The man put his foot on the scientists chest and levelled his Avenger at him...only to grunt in pain as the Cerberus man madly began hacking at the unarmoured parts of Kaidan's leg. "I said don't move!" He kicked down, drawing a grunt from the scientist...a grunt turning into a gurgle as white froth began to pour from the man's mouth. "Shit, suicide pills! Stop them!"

The last man was already convulsing on the floor though, uselessly clutching at his throat as white froth poured from his mouth, making Liara pale at the horrifying sight. Such extreme measures as suicide pills was one of the things she had stopped forcing on her agents when she had become the Shadow Broker, it was just too...brutal.

Pushing though what was left of the window, Liara heard a muted explosion from the other side of the far wall as James began his bombardment in earnest, the crack of Michael's sniper rifle nearly being lost in the background. She had no time to contemplate the successfulness of that though as the door at the other side opened, revealing a decidedly alive Centurion that stumbled slightly as his shields flared, resisting the pull of the singularity he had practically walked right into. Shouldering aside one of the flailing women as he did so, the Centurion brought his mattock to bear on her.

EDI and Kaidan instantly began firing. Liara on the other hand pulled her hand back as she felt a current of electrifying fire run from her spine and through her arm...and then hurled the biotic throw forward just as the Centurion's shields, weakened by Michael's sniper rifle, failed before EDI and Kaidan's fire. Instantly, the man lifted off his feet as the singularity grabbed at him...only for the biotic push to hit him a second later.

With a boom, the contradicting forces of a biotic energy creating its own gravity for everything caught in its field, and one amplifying gravity in a specific direction, collided, the atoms of the Centurion becoming torn in too many directions, unable to stay stable. The entire man exploded into gory bits of flesh and armour as his centre of mass became a biotic supernova, the blast sending the two scientists flying through the room and into the walls of the building with horrifying crunches of breaking bones and flesh.

"Dammit!" Kaidan swore, making Liara grimace in guilt, knowing she hadn't planned to end it like that. _Though considering the Cerberus operatives I captured before this, I doubt they would have given much information_... She shook it off; three years ago she would have been horrified at killing someone. One year ago she would have admonished herself for making a mistake in the rush to do her job...she liked to think she had grown past that.

Outside, at the other side of the doorway, Liara saw the pile of containers the soldiers had been stacking explode as a grenade landed right among them, sending crates and a soldier that had used it for cover flying. Even further off, one of the Cerberus engineers jerked backwards as Michael's shot caught him in the chest. If it was lethal or not, Liara would never know, since the man stumbled back into the hole of the elevator shaft he had been working on, falling to his doom. The other two were diving for cover though, pistols coming up to pour shots into the general direction of their compatriot's slayer.

Two Cerberus soldiers had taken cover just past the doorway, submachine guns spewing shots into the room and at the invaders. One shot thumped into Liara's barrier, a few more into Kaidan...and then the leftmost soldier turned his weapon at EDI as the machine..._jogged past him_! His shots struck true...and whizzed right through the machine, making Liara blink in confusion.

A moment later an orange ball of an incineration attack hurtled forth, striking the man in the back and making him scream in agony as he dropped onto all fours, then completely prone as EDI, stepping up next to Liara, poured a round of shots into his back. Noticing Liara's confused look, the machine shot her a quick look. "Optical projection, useful for an infiltration unit...and apparently also useful in combat."

"I did not know AI were good at improvising like that." Liara admitted, pouring shots at the other trooper guarding the doorway, though only succeeding on keeping him in cover as he refused to step forth.

"Now isn't the time to chat!" Kaidan snapped, the biotic running forth, a ball of orange light hurtling from his omni-tool before striking the wall the soldier had found cover behind, making the man stumble away...and then be pulled towards Kaidan by a biotic pull. Slamming the end of his Avenger into the airborne soldier, Kaidan sent him flying away with a round of shots to the throat. Growling, he then stepped through the doorway and dropped onto one knee, aiming over to the right. "Turrets are down! But I think-"

A crack...and Kaidan cried out as he fell backwards, his back hitting the wall. Gasping, he clutched at his left shoulder and rolled back into the building. "_Sniper_!"

"Goddess, are you okay!" Liara gasped, kneeling next to the man as she fumbled for her medi-gel.

"It's nothing!" Kaidan snapped, already sitting up as he let his hand drop, revealing how his barrier had been knocked out and his shoulder pad cracked, a hint of blood seeping through the damage. _And that from one shot_? _What are they using_! "They know what we're trying to do though! They're coming!" There was a hint of panic in Kaidan's voice, making Liara rush to glance out the doorway, eyes widening.

Apparently the Cerberus troops weren't content to sit in cover and let Shepard dictate the battle, they were _charging_...as suicidal as it might be, they were intent on their objective. With the engineers over at the far building now dead, three Cerberus soldiers were running towards the building, two of them carrying what could only be a bunch of explosives. More frightening though were the seven soldiers charging at the building Kaidan's team had taken, a Centurion at the head of the group as a red laser sight appeared from the doorway the group had come out from.

_Goddess_!

Ducking back in, Liara barely dodged the shot thumping into the wall behind her, only to shoot her head back, as well as her Locust, a moment later.

At the far end, the Cerberus sniper staggered as Michael's shot slammed into her shield, then fell forward as the next shot struck her leg, followed by a third punching through her stomach. A strange electronic screech escaped her as she fell forward, rolling down the stairs before coming to a stop next to one of the demolished turrets.

Her screech could barely be heard over the explosion of James' grenade though, the blast tearing apart one of the soldiers running for the distant building and sending the other to the ground, clutching what was left of his leg. The third soldier whirled about, dropping his weapon as he rushed to his comrade...only to pick up the dropped explosives rather than help the wounded man, apparently still intent on his mission. _The mission to destroy whatever Prothean artefact they've found_... Liara turned the Locust over at the distant man, not about to let that happen. Shepard was ready to sacrifice himself to defeat the Reapers at any cost...but he wasn't the only one. Ignoring the bullets whizzing at her from the charging Cerberus troops, Liara lined up her sights at the more distant target and squeezed the trigger.

The Locust wasn't a hard-hitting weapon, but it was accurate even in Liara's rusty hands, and persistent in its firing rate.

The target jumped at the first strike, more from the feel of the impact than any damage. Then he jerked sideways as he ran, blood spurting from his left shoulder, before doubling over, blood spurting from his abdomen. He stumbled...then spun and dropped onto his back as the rain of bullets punched through his armoured chest. _Yes_!

Closer to her, a grenade from James' launcher threw up dust just behind the last two Cerberus troops in the charge, sending them flying forward with their backs shredded. Yet that also meant that the last five were by now shielded from James and Michael's fire by the building Kaidan's team had taken...

_Pain_!

Gasping, Liara found her barrier failing and two shots from a Mattock thump into her breastplate as the Centurion closed the distance. She brought her Locust to bear...only for it to be knocked out of her hands by the Centurion, the butt of his rifle slamming into her gut, knocking the wind out of her and sending her tumbling backwards. Looking up, she found the Centurion bring his rifle to bear on her...only for a blur to appear, solidifying into EDI's leg, her foot having struck the soldier in the head with fearsome force and sending him flying into what remained of the stacked boxes ahead. The machine's foot came down even as she opened fire, her Tempest raking the already injured Centurion, ending his life.

Then the next soldier reached the doorway, smashing into EDI, and while the machine had been built to be strong and to endure punishment, it was also light enough to pass off as a real woman...and that made her light enough to be hurled across the room by the tackle of the Cerberus soldier. With a crash, EDI slammed into the far wall, nearly falling out of the shattered window as the synthetic staggered to her feet. The soldier who had tackled her raised his small submachine gun, a round of three shots being deflected by her shield before Kaidan flew to his feet, right hand pushing the weapon upwards as his left pulled back, biotic energy covering the fist.

Then another soldier ran into the room, hands grasping at Kaidan's fist and grabbing his arm as the one whose aim had been spoilt grabbed the other, the two pinning the man to the wall while shouting at one another through their radios. A third rushed in, aiming his gun at the pinned Kaidan...only to hit the wall above the man as Liara's foot caught him in the thigh, the woman freeing her pistol...

One shot, throwing up a crimson cloud from the soldier's shoulder...and he dropped his weapon before growling something as he fell down on Liara, knocking the wind out of her for the second time that day as strong hands pushed her arms down. The red lenses of his helmet glared down at her, his knee coming up to press down on her chest as he released her unarmed hand so his left hand could reach for what looked like a electrified maul held in place at his hip...and Liara gritted her teeth, struggling to summon a biotic blast, only to be frustrated by the lack of oxygen ruining her concentration.

Behind the soldier atop her, Liara could see a fourth soldier entering...only for his head to explode into gory pieces as EDI's Paladin barked out a shot. Instantly, the two pinning Kaidan spun round, holding the man by the arms to keep him between themselves and the machine...

Now dark spots started to dance before Liara's vision, and the biotic blast was still out of reach as the soldier held up the glowing power-maul that promised a quick death. _I_..._can't_..._accept_ _that_! Liara didn't recognise the thought as her own, but it didn't matter, it sent a jolt of energy through her, making her right leg shoot up high, coming in under the armpit of her foe's raised arm before pushing down.

Cursing, the soldier was pushed backwards by her leg, the man rolling on the floor before coming up on all fours, hand reaching for his power-maul...growling, Liara leapt after him.

Behind her, at her right, Michael and James came rushing down, then past her as the two crashed into the two hostage takers, freeing Kaidan by the sheer force of their charge and making the biotic turn to join their assault on the now outnumbered Cerberus men. One fell with Michael's omni-blade deep in his chest, the other managed to block James' fist, only for Kaidan to cave his face in as the biotically assisted punch struck true.

Liara was barely aware of it though as she crashed atop the Cerberus soldier, nearly knocking his face into the floor before he began to try and toss her off. She wrapped her legs around his waist , left arm hooking in under his helmet as best she could while the right began to pull at the arm, trying to choke the man. _Let's see how __you__ like not being able to breathe_!

Growling, the soldier rolled onto his back, squashing her between his heavy bulk and the floor. Liara endured though, her armour enough to hold back the worst of the weight as with an angry growl she held onto the man while her hands tore his helmet off so she could get a better purchase. The back of his head was disgusting, a bald and sweaty dome covered in blue veins...and Liara only growled louder as her arm once more came around the man's throat, pulling tight now that his helmet was no longer in the way. Feeling his struggles to shake her off grow more and more feeble...

At a distance, someone gasped, but Liara ignored it, pulling _harder_...

A sigh...and the Cerberus soldier went limp.

Groaning, suddenly feeling the bruises she had amassed in such a short time, Liara relaxed, sluggishly pushing the soldier off her and struggling to get to her feet...only to freeze, finding the three men of the squad staring at her. "I'm sorry...did I do something wrong? He made using biotics difficult, so I improvised, I..." She went quiet, realising they weren't staring at her, but at the one she had _fought_...

She looked over at the Cerberus soldier...and revulsion surged through her at the sight.

The blue veins running down his bald head were simply that of a sickly human, yet as they moved down they converged, swelled up, forming two dark ridges moving over the skin, yet still the blue..._shone_ through these ridges as they moved down to the soldier's eyes. The bluish orbs were nothing like the eyes of a human or _any_ form of life. The ridges had warped the man's features into a twisted shape of a human, yet the features were still _familiar_, and it was that familiarity that made it so grotesque. Here and there, his skin had cracked, a low white light escaping them, softly pulsing, as if there was something just beneath it, trying to break free...something _unnatural_.

"He's...a Husk." Michael spoke the words Liara was thinking, though his voice was muted, not shocked, nor horrified, it almost sounded..._frightened_? Looking up, Liara found the man gazing at the dead soldier, eyes not even blinking as he kept staring at it. "They've used Reaper tech on him..."

"That's...disgusting." Kaidan muttered, shaking his head as he stepped up next to Michael. "Not _surprising_, but disgusting...how can anyone be cruel enough to do that to their own people?"

"The Illusive Man would give you a very logical and thorough explanation..." Michael muttered back, not taking his eyes off the slain soldier. "...at the end you would believe him, or at least respect his decision..." Still without blinking or looking away, he gestured at the door. "Vega, bring a Centurion, an engineer and that sniper, I want to see what he's done..."

As Vega began jogging away, muttering something worried under his breath, Liara inched closer to Michael, sensing his distress.

"So this is his latest sick experiment?" Kaidan scoffed, glaring at the corpse. "He's implanted Reaper tech into his own men? Made them indoctrinated?"

Michael flinched at the words, making Liara move closer still even as EDI of all people responded. "Incorrect. While there seems to be Reaper technology in this soldier, it does not mean he was indoctrinated." Liara blinked. _Did EDI just_..._shoot Michael a reassuring glance_! _ Goddess, I really should study how AI work and think to determine how 'human' she really is_... "Indoctrination is a subtle signal intent on disrupting the brain patterns and break down the will of the recipient so as to, in a varying level of subtlety, influence his or her actions. Reaper technology implanted into organic tissue that turns them into husks is a complete override of the subject's body, essentially killing the person and turning them into a thrall of the Reapers."

"And a longer exposure to Reaper tech...?" Kaidan asked, glancing over at Michael and making Liara tense where she stood.

EDI's face remained unreliable. "I have no data on that."

"_That's_ reassuring." Vega grunted as the marine returned, throwing the limp body of a Centurion on the floor before reaching down to pull the man's helmet off. "And behind door number one...we have a _creepy_ thing."

The face behind the helmet was almost a _copy_ of the previous soldier's face, but where there should be a mouth, a crude box of steel had been moulded into the skin, replacing the man's jaw. Most of it was to fit a circular speaker, but on the left side something _familiar_ was attached...though it ended with a small antenna moving up the side of the man's face. Liara cocked her head to the side, studying the familiar object. _Wait_..._isn't_ _that_... "Is that a biotic amp? Why is the soldier wearing one there? Is...was he a biotic? Why is it attached to an antenna? Can...can he communicate via biotics? Is that _possible_!"

Silence was all that answered her.

Then Kaidan cleared his throat. "Well...the Rachni could speak to their 'children' from miles away, right? Maybe _they_ do it via biotics? And we all know Cerberus has experimented on them..." He glanced at Michael, and the two men exchanged a grimace as they remembered their old missions against Cerberus.

"That assumption is based on little data." EDI noted, then looked down at the dead Centurion. "Though I can offer no other explanation with a higher probability. Centurions are officers, if they can communicate biotically with Cerberus command, anyone else would be unable to pick up such a different form of communication...it would be a wise precaution in avoiding anyone tracking the one sending the orders."

"So...this..." Kaidan shook his head at the two corpses lying next to one another...and inched away from Michael as he looked up at the man. "...this is something like they did to you...isn't it?"

"W-what?" Michael stuttered, shaking his head furiously at the question. "No...no...I..." He slowed down, looking down at the Cerberus corpses as his shoulders slumped. "...I don't know..."

Liara finally crossed the last space between them, coming to a stop at the man's left side, giving his arm a squeeze._ I'm sorry, __I__ was the one bringing you to Cerberus, __I__ was the one who couldn't see another way, just because_..._I_..._I couldn't let you go_. She didn't say it though, such words...Liara might have grown since Michael had discovered her, but _socially_ she wasn't ready to open up, _especially_ not when it came to such heartfelt matters... Instead she kept her tone sharp, giving Kaidan a warning look. "_No_, it's _not. _Michael is himself, not at all like those..._things_."

"Sure, but the previous inhabitant of EDI's body perfectly resembled a human before she was burnt, didn't she?" Kaidan asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he shot the synthetic a nod, then looked over to Michael. "So what could there be beneath Shepard's skin?" The man in question flinched at that, looking down at his feet as he frowned, concern written on his face even as Liara sensed it was to conceal the bubbling _panic_ beneath. "When we get back to the Normandy, Chakwas and Michel should do a full test of you, including x-rays."

"That's ridiculous! And _offensive_!" Liara protested, arm wrapping itself around Michael's as she glared daggers at the stoic Kaidan. "Michael has done _nothing_ to deserve this...this...witch hunt! We are _not_ going to-!"

"Yes, we are." Liara spluttered, finding Michael's soft words robbing her of all her anger. The man offered her a smile, free hand coming forth to pat hers, gripping his arm so tightly. "It won't hurt, and it's..._necessary_ that we know, for the good of the war."

Liara stared at him, mouth moving, yet no words escaping her.

Then Vega once more appeared, huffing slightly as he dropped a Cerberus engineer on the floor. "Damn, this guy should eat less." Noticing the hint of tension in the room, the marine shook his head and chose not to comment, his hands instead going down to pull off the engineer's mask. "Okay...after this, I quit."

The engineer looked almost normal, besides a bit pale, except for the lack of _eyes_. Instead the dark sockets, still stained by dark blood from a crude stitching, were filled by a pair of metal cylinders, two red dots in their centres all that stood out. Stepping forth, EDI looked down at the sight. "Identifying...scanners, capable of tracking heat and electric current, as well as being capable of limited x-raying, likely to make them more efficient at their task. This way they can look at the inside of structures to locate damaged mechanisms without opening the target machine itself."

"Must make it a bitch to see during everyday life though..." James muttered. "...no wonder they are crap shots too..." He looked around himself, but found no one smiling at his words...a sigh...and he jogged away to find the sniper.

When he was gone, Liara found herself shaking her head at Michael. "I...you don't have to do this, we trust you to-"

"I don't blindly trust people." Kaidan snapped, making her turn her head and glare at the man even as her left hand sneaked up to hold Michael's shoulder. "And you are too close to him to be neutral on the issue."

"And _you_ are neutral?" Liara countered as she with an annoyed snort pulled her arm away from Michael's shoulder and released her grip on his arm, realising how it might look. "You've done nothing but question him since day one." She eyed Kaidan as the man shifted before her. "I would almost think you're _jealous_..."

Kaidan snorted. "I'm _anything_ but-"

"Enough." Michael sighed, his tone not that of a commanding officer, just a weary man, wanting to lessen his headache. He looked down at her, giving her a stern, if somewhat kind look. "Liara, Kaidan is being careful when it comes to Cerberus, you as the Shadow Broker and on top of the Illusive Man's hit list should know to appreciate this, however overzealous it might sometimes come across." The stern look shifted over to Kaidan, turning less friendly, more neutral. "And Kaidan, I've agreed to your physical, stating things you've already made _abundantly_ clear to get a rise out of Liara is _not_ acceptable. So please, the both of you, drop this now."

Silence.

Liara glaring at Kaidan.

Kaidan calmly looking back at her.

Then, to her annoyance, the man nodded. "Of course, you're right Shepard." He reached out, offering his hand, tone _annoyingly_ diplomatic. _Goddess, how did people stand me when __I__ used to speak like that_? "I apologise for my tone, Dr T'soni, I could have voiced my concern less...aggressively."

Liara looked at the hand, something within her rebelling at taking it. She looked up at Michael, but found nothing but encouragement to do just the thing she _didn't_ want to do. _Damn it_...Gritting her teeth, Liara took the hand and gave it a firm shake before releasing it. "And I too apologise, I spoke...in haste." _Liar, you believe in what you said_... She looked over to Michael and found her shoulders slump._ Though I guess I should be used to lying by now_...

Then, much to her relief, Vega once more entered, the marine grunting as he tossed the Cerberus sniper onto the other corpses. "Right, and behind door number three..." He reached at the mask of the woman and peeled it off, a sickly sound of tearing flesh accompanying it. "Oh that just ain't right..."

Liara turned her head in disgust, as did Kaidan. Even _Michael_ seemed to be forcing himself to look at the sight, face marked with revulsion.

"Fascinating." EDI noted, the machine unable to feel the revulsion they did, or perhaps not finding organic things repulsive in the same way others did. "Scanning...bodysuit replacing skin and directly attached to exposed nerves. Eyes, nose, mouth replaced...a sensory upgrade across the board. The eyes might be completely filled with blood, but the nerves within are intact and are surgically enhanced by nano-machines likely directly connected to the optical nerve, to accomplish this they must have-"

"That's...enough of an analysis, EDI." Michael grunted, holding up a hand to stem the flow of sickening words. "I...write up a report on all the corpses' physiology and leave it on my desk later, right now we should go see what these troops were defending."

"Yes, let's see if this was worth it." Kaidan eagerly agreed, moving after Michael as the man left the room to head for the distant building the Cerberus troops had tried to blow up.

"I'm sure it will be." Liara said, eagerly catching up with the two, as much to find whatever treasure Cerberus had uncovered as it was to escape the room with its macabre assemble of corpses. Yet now out in the fresh air, Liara's gaze fell upon the closed door of the building whose content the Cerberus troops had given their lives to defend...and felt a spring of eagerness fill her steps as she wondered what Prothean artefact she might get her hands on _this_ time.

_Goddess, let it be something breathtaking_...

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being such a little champ._


	12. Chapter 12

"I'll send you a report." Michael looked down at the hologram created by his omni-tool, the image of Admiral Hackett was blurry, but at least it was _there_. "If the Prothean knows _anything_ of worth, I'll _personally_ escort him to the Crucible base."

He was striding away from the War Room. There he had assigned some men – Admiral Hackett had trusted him with some Alliance special forces – to Noveria to secure, by force if necessary, all research data they could get their hands on, in particular anything relating to the Rachni and Reapers. Cerberus surely had tentacles there, and its Peak Fifteen had held Rachni for Saren, who _knew_ what else was being researched there, this time under Cerberus' hidden leadership? _And I who was supposed to focus on just the Reapers_... Michael almost smiled at that. _Ah well, what Udina doesn't know can't hurt him, heck, even Kaidan agreed it was sound to send a force there__, so I must be doing something 'right'_.

He and Kaidan were actually on...amicable terms as of today...which Michael found a bit of a shock. Sure, the biotic was still wary of him, and seemed intent on scrutinise his every decision, but in a way Michael _welcomed_ it...if he _was_ under the sway of Reapers or Cerberus, Kaidan would be the one to catch it...it felt _good_ to work with a safety net.

Then there was the Prothean, not a Prothean artefact, but a real, living _Prothean_, on the Engineer deck. _Kaidan can't say that __that__ wasn't a useful find for our campaign_! The Prothean might just be the key to their victory. Someone who could point them directly to the Catalyst, who could explain the Crucible and perhaps knew vast amounts of strategic data on how to fight the Reapers conventionally, something Michael would _love_ to know._ Of course, Liara bouncing like an excited puppy is a good bonus_... Michael held back a grin so as to not confuse Hackett.

That's where Michael was heading now, Liara had contained her excitement enough to not open the cryogenic pod right away, instead choosing to wait until it was aboard the Normandy and they had stabilized the failing life signs of the person in it. Which of course had proven difficult since they didn't know what pulse and the like a _Prothean_ had...but some experimentation and careful work by EDI and Liara and it seemed they were finally ready to open the box and see what Cerberus had gift-wrapped for them...

Mostly though, his good mood came from his physical, the reason his and Kaidan's relationship had somewhat improved. Doctor Chakwas and doctor Michel had been exceedingly thorough, as per Michael's instructions, they had even brought in EDI at one point, and although Michael hadn't exactly enjoyed being practically naked and prodded at by three women, though he supposed EDI shouldn't count, Michael had welcomed the idea of finally getting an _answer_ on what he was.

He had been nervous, more than he would have dared admit to anyone, except maybe Tali.

Yet the physical hadn't shown all that much. He had been the epitome of health, save a bit of high blood pressure, not surprising given what he was doing, and was probably fitter than he'd been before he'd died, even. The implants...well there was the more worrisome news; they _were_ of Reaper origin, or so the scans said, and Michael had three of them fitted along his spine, another near his heart and another three tiny ones within his _brain_. With biotics and disabled people, cybernetics – even in your brain – weren't unheard of, though Michael was well aware that none had as much in them as he did, nor of _Reaper_ make. Yet while that was scary to think about, all tests came out negative, save for a weak electrical current in the implants, making them work in keeping his body functioning, nothing registered on them, they were inert. EDI had run every test there was on them...and nothing registered anything abnormal about them.

Of course she had also pointed out that perhaps they _couldn't_ spot any signal the Reapers or Cerberus might have implanted...but even Kaidan had at that point been willing to concede that that was unlikely, stating that 'absence of evidence isn't evidence'...it had been _good_ to hear the man finally say that. _Although_ _he could have said that sooner_..._jerk_. Michael shook aside the thought. Being bitter about it wouldn't help him, and he was too happy about the physical clearing him to bother with it as well. _Though maybe the tests didn't actually see_..._no, don't think like that_.

Before him, Hackett nodded even as Michael stepped into the elevator. "Good, and I'll send you a report on the Crucible progress, as well as how the war is going on the front lines. Suffice to say though, it's not looking good."

Michael sighed._ I never get to enjoy my good moods_... "Hit me, just a summary so I know what to expect when I see the report." He pressed the button to the elevator, commanding it down to Engineering._ Without Tali there_... Grunting, Michael shifted where he stood, annoyed with himself, he was _sure_ Tali was safe and sound, more so than _him_...yet every time his mood soured, he couldn't help but think of her, and more specifically, of her _not_ being with him. _God, I miss her_...

"Well the Crucible plans are still being deciphered even as we work, but even _if_ we make sense of it all, we don't have enough material to build it. Udina is scouring _every_ colony for resources and even the _Shadow Broker_ of all people sent a shipment of rare metals to us." _That's my Liara_... "Yet it's still not enough, if you manage to get Turian support, I'd ask you to get them to send us resources in their first shipment, the Citadel engineers you got us was a small boost, but they can't build the Crucible out of thin air."

"I'll see what I can do, things like this tend to get complicated fast."

"You would know." Hackett nodded, Michael almost sensing a _smile_ behind that grim façade, though his next words erased any hint of that. "As to the war itself, it's going about as badly as you predicted. We don't even dare to get _near_ the Sol system, how Anderson is managing to endure the fight there, I don't understand." A shake of Hackett's head, or so Michael guessed, as the image got even blurrier. "In half of our systems there are smaller Reaper forces advancing, yet our fleets can't even _hope_ to match them and are reduced to doing hit and run attacks to destroy troop carriers. On the ground the troops fighting to protect the colonies are either driven to exhaustion before being overwhelmed by husk forces, or they are annihilated by landing Reaper Destroyers. No defence we've set up does more than slow them down. The Reapers can hit us at will and both sides _know_ it. " A sigh. "Morale is already pretty low, and I'm hoping the special forces you sent to Noveria come back with something important, if nothing else but to give us a victory to celebrate."

"Don't worry, Kaidan and I worked out the details, if the men follow their instructions and meet with Miss Parasini, I'm sure she can point them at something important, she owes me a favour."

"Good, I'll expect their report soon then." Hackett shrugged as his image improved somewhat. "Now, I have a war to wage, Shepard, and with communications slowly failing in this system, I need to get my orders out before getting to the project of once more moving the Crucible and its defence fleet to another system. It's getting too dangerous in this one."

"I understand, good luck." Michael suppressed the old urge to salute, and instead offered the Admiral a pale smile.

The Admiral shot him a nod. "And the same to you." Then the transmission died just as the door to the elevator opened.

Michael didn't step out, head downcast as he lowered his arm. _We're_ _losing_...

_No, we're keeping them busy_. He raised his head, narrowing his eyes. _And then we'll __kill__ them, every single one of them. I'll teach them the meaning of fear, of mortality_..._and then __death__, all they've done to us, I'll return a hundred times over_. Growling under his breath, Michael stepped out of the elevator and took a sharp left, head held high as he marched towards the door ahead. T_hey'll __all__ die, the Prothean will help us, the Crucible and Catalyst will be my gun, and I'll personally pull the trigger_..._and if it won't work I'll step into every damn Reaper myself and tear its insides apart_...

With a hiss, the door opened.

The room was as Michael remembered it, save one less Krogan, yet for once, when Michael entered the room, he wasn't alone with its inhabitant. At his end of the room James stood, the marine in full armour and the Wraith shotgun he had begun calling his baby in his hands. He didn't look as friendly as he usually did, instead it was the an uncomfortable stoicism in his stance, the look of a soldier not quite sure what to expect as he was rendered powerless by having to wait for those with the know-how to finish their work. Kaidan stood further to the right, leaning against the wall and shooting Michael a respectful nod. He too was armoured, and the Avenger rifle in his hands had its safety off. _So_..._not_ t_aking any chances then_? Michael arched an eyebrow, not really surprised by Kaidan's caution, yet still amused...he remembered how it went when he released Grunt from his pod, that had been a fun fight. _So this'll be the second pod we open, what will we free next_? _The Illusive Man's clone_?

Further off, Liara stood, a datapad in her hand, the other placed on the smooth black pod – save for a white button at the side – set at an incline against the wall, as if she was unable to release it even as she did some last checking on its system. She wasn't armoured like the two men, nor uniformed, as usual preferring civilian clothing when she could. And of course, that garb was that of a scientist, the sort of suit the woman had worn since their first meeting, by now it felt like she was born with it, as much a part of her as Tali's environment suit was to her. By now, the Asari had stopped bouncing in excitement, the eyes stopped glowing, instead there was a tenseness about her, a nervousness as she tried to keep said excitement back, along with the worry about what might go wrong. Y_eah, I guess introducing a Prothean to the new galaxy will be a bit tough. 'Hey, welcome, your entire race is dead and the Reapers are here to repeat the nightmare...'_

As if sensing his thoughts, Liara shot him a look, making Michael hold back the smile that had started to appear on his face. _Right, time to be serious_. The woman nervously smiled at him, lowering the datapad before looking back at the cryogenic pad, licking her lips. "We are ready...or so EDI and I believe. The Prothean might be disoriented though, and I don't know how he or she might react to a new surrounding and people. The vitals look...we think it's good, but if not we should be ready, I have Doctors Chakwas and Michel on call, but don't dare put too many people in the room to make it easier for the Prothean...in fact I think we're already too many." She shot Kaidan an irritated look._ Heh, some lingering animosity_?_ Should I be happy that Kaidan is focusing on someone else for a change_?

Kaidan didn't glare back though, keeping his face neutral as he spoke with the calm and thoughtful tone he usually did. "Regulations are clear about meeting new species, Liara. Besides, as you yourself said, the Prothean might be disoriented and react to the new environment in a way we can't predict. This is just a safety measure, and we'll use non-lethal force as much as possible if it comes to that. This is for your own security, as much as for the ship's."

Liara didn't exactly roll her eyes at the words, but a throaty sound of what had to be frustration escaped her as she turned back to the pod, looking up at the coffin-like box. "I suppose I can't argue with that..."

_Bet you want to though_. Michael smirked as he moved forth, putting a hand on Liara's shoulder. "You ready for this then?" Under his hand, Liara began to tremble at the words, making his smirk widen. "To open the pod and release a real _Prothean_?" Her tremble turned into a shiver of excitement. "Think of all we can _learn_..."

"Enough, Michael!" The Asari knocked his hand off her shoulder, shooting him a surprisingly wide grin for someone usually so collected. "I know what you're trying to do!"

Michael cocked his head to the side, smirking. "And it worked." Liara shook her head at him, clearly torn between frustration and amusement. "Now, I think the Prothean expert deserves the honour..." He gestured at the white button on the side of the black obelisk before them.

"I..." Liara took a shuddering breath, voice turning into a low squeak. "...okay..."Another deep breath. "...here we go..." Her hand moved forth, finding the simple button, the cracked surface of it creaking as the damaged mechanism struggled to register her command.

"Errr..." Michael glanced down at the now frowning Asari. "...you want me to help you with-"

A grunt of effort...and the button finally yielded to Liara's push.

Silence.

Then a hiss.

White smoke began to drift from the left side of the pod, swirling tendrils that covered everything it touched in a sheen of thin ice...and Michael pulled Liara back as the lid soundlessly slid open. More of the white tendrils, a cloud of it, poured out. As if alive, they slid forward, coiling tentacles reaching for the two persons near them...making them slowly pull back, unwilling to truly retreat as curiosity tugged at them to stay.

Then the mist dissipated, the sheen of ice on the metal around the pod where the tendrils had touched all that remained of it, ice already cracking and evaporating.

Ice dissolving around the one _in_ the pod as well...

"Goddess..." Liara breathed, and Michael could only mutely agree.

It wasn't hard to see how the person before them could have been turned into what a Collector looked like. There was something in the way the alien stood, and the carapace ridge on top of its head. _I guess it's a man_..._though I shouldn't make assumptions with amphibians, like that time I had to deal with the Salarian Dalatrass_..._wait, aren't Protheans bugs_? _Gah_, _focus_! Like a Collector's, his head was angular in a way not even a Turian could match, four closed eyes set with one pair behind the others only made the similarity to the Collector's all the more prevalent. Yet for being an insect there was surprisingly little carapace on him. He reminded Michael of a Drell or Salarian more than a Rachni or ant. Despite resembling a Collector, the Prothean was oddly..._squat_, shorter and broader, only as tall as Liara as far as Michael could guess.

He was also in armour; a strange reddish suit of elongated and overlapping plates, each with golden edges, as if the man was some sort of holy warrior...

Yet however strange it was...Michael found it..._familiar_...

He blinked, _something_ flashing before his eyes.

_A galaxy in flames_...

_Worlds burning_...

_Battles on a thousand worlds_...

_No surrender, no retreat_...

_Defeat is not acceptable_...

It resounded through him, the knowledge of the past, the _mantra_ of the past...a mantra that had been his...that still, somewhere deep within him, _was_ his.

He found himself shivering.

Then, the creature before them blinked. Yellow eyes opening, a double set of irises in each narrowing as it gazed out at the world around him...a low groan...and the alien stumbled forward, barely catching himself with his right foot to avert falling to the floor. Another grunt...and the alien's eyes focused, gaze sweeping over the room as the four sets of eyes narrowed, the man smoothly moving into what could only be considered a combat pose.

"Easy there, compadre... " James muttered as he took a step closer, shoving the shotgun in his hands forward to show what resistance could lead to.

"Zhuvanda...dhvortak." The alien words were spat out of the Prothean's mouth, a look of disdain in his eyes as he glared at the weapon.

"Errr...what?" Michael looked over at Liara. "You're the Prothean expert...do _you_ know what he's saying?"

"I...was kind of hoping you did, you have the cypher." Liara admitted, not moving her gaze off the creature, her eyes wide.

"It's not exactly a dictionary." Michael replied, watching as the Prothean cocked his head to the side, brow furrowing as he raised his left hand, making it glow. _Is_ _that_..._an_ _omni_-_tool_! It looked so much like it, perhaps a bit more advanced, but it _was_ an omni-tool. _Fifty thousand years ago, the Prothean had had a similar device to that of our own civilization_...

Again, Michael shuddered, Sovereign's words reverberating through him. "**Organic life is unpredictable, **_**we**_** lead you down the path of of development **_**we**_** desire**_._"

"Hey-hey! No funny business!" James snapped, only to have his gun lowered by Kaidan, the man frowning at the Prothean.

"He doesn't seem to be hostile lieutenant, let's see where he goes with this..." Kaidan looked over to Liara. "Doctor, you don't happen to have some sort of linguistic...translation device?"

"I have a _text_-based translation device...though it's far from perfect." Liara grimaced, biting her lower lip in frustration.

"Well we can't well stand here and stare at each other." Michael grunted. "We need to be able to _communicate_, so Liara, please bring forth-"

"I understand you." The voice was deep but clear...and came directly from the Prothean now looking at him. "Your languages, even the Asari's, is crude and simple, easy to decipher once I had read through his linguistic program." The Prothean pointed a finger at James.

The marine stared at the others, looking awkward as he cleared his throat. "Yeah...I _may_ not be good at keeping my omni-tool's firewall up to date...or have given it a password...heh..."

"We'll discuss your lack of maintenance of Alliance equipment another time." Kaidan snapped, making Michael shoot the marine's suddenly whipped look a chuckle.

"Irrelevant." The Prothean snapped, making the others turn to him in surprise at the commanding tone. "Where are my warriors? What have you _done_ to them?"

"I'm sorry...they did not make it." Liara muttered, lowering her head. They had rappelled down the shaft Cerberus had dug, finding a Prothean bunker in horrible disrepair, the signs of a battle fought long ago still marking its walls. There had been _many_ more pods like that of the Prothean, each since long deactivated, turning the pods into coffins and the bunker to a mausoleum...Michael had by then judged it best for them to collapse the bunker and leave with the only thing of value before Cerberus had time to organize a counter-attack. "The stasis program you used seems to have been damaged at some point..." The Prothean frowned, but didn't look surprised. "...and when the pods stayed for longer than intended, they failed."

"Victory told me as much..." The Prothean dully replied, only for a curse to escape him as he whirled about, hands gripping at the edges of the pod before him. "And now I'm the only one left! How can I remake an empire out of that! Impossible!" A mutter...and his shoulders slumped. "The Prothean empire, our glory, extinguished..."

_Victory_? _Prothean empire_? _Wait_..._remake_ _it_? Michael looked at Liara, but the Asari simply shrugged, knowing no more than he did. "We're...sorry for the death of your people." Liara muttered, even to Michael the words seemed meek.

A sigh...and the Prothean lowered his head. "It doesn't matter, sadness will not bring them back. And if the empire cannot be remade, then there is only one thing left, _vengeance_." Again, the Prothean whirled about, looking at Liara with narrowed eyes as he pointed a long finger at her. "You! Your people must be warned and prepared for war! The Reapers, machines of great power and evil, will soon descend upon you and all that you-!"

"We already know that." Michael interrupted, taking a step forward as he held the gaze of the alien's foremost eyes. "They are already here."

The Prothean's nostrils flared, at the interruption or the information, it was hard to tell. "I've slept for that long? The Reapers are back? And fighting people with this..." He eyed James' shotgun with a snort. "..._crude_ technology?" He looked back to Michael, shaking his head. "And you, the ape-descendant, not at least an _Asari_, is the leader of this war?" Another, slower, shake of his head, and the Prothean muttered something under his breath.

"I am...in a sense." Michael growled, taking a step forward. "And while the Reapers _are_ here, they only came here recently and we're fighting them. More importantly, we still hold the Citadel _and_ have your Crucible plans, we're building it right now."

"The Citadel still stands? You managed to stop them from taking it?" The Prothean scowled, momentarily looking away before turning back to Michael. "Then...the scientists on Ilos were successful?" Michael nodded. "That is good...but what's this of a Crucible?"

Michael felt himself pale as he looked over to Liara finding her eyes wide, then he looked back to the Prothean. "The...weapon you were making to fight the Reapers...you don't know of it?"

"I...heard rumours." The Prothean grunted, irritated. "They kept such knowledge secret as much as they could to soldiers like me, indoctrinated spies were everywhere. So you are building this weapon you say? And the Catalyst? You have it?"

"Erm...we don't even know what it _is_." Michael admitted, scratching his head. "We were hoping _you_ could tell us..."

"Did you not listen, ape?" Michael blinked at the Prothean's sharp tone. "They did not share such knowledge in fear of indoctrinated spies learning of it! And you are telling me that you're already building this weapon without even knowing what the Catalyst _is_! You must be more desperate than I thought..." Again, the Prothean glanced over at James' shotgun, snorting. "...not that I'm surprised."

A bit taken aback by the behaviour of the Prothean, Michael shot Liara a puzzled look, only to find the Asari staring at the Prothean with wide eyes, mouth moving but no words coming, apparently unable to vocalise her thoughts. Sighing, he turned back to the Prothean. "Maybe, but I've done desperate things before and come out on top, it's not over yet..." The alien snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. _Right, time to treat him as a Commander would do_. "That said, call me ape again and this questioning will be less _friendly_ than it currently is. One way or another, you _will_ help us combat the Reapers."

Something of an amused sneer appeared on the Prothean's face "On _that_, we can agree, I will help you, though I hold no illusions about our chances. But it will not be for _your_ sake, but for my people, for the blood that has been spilt and _demands_ blood in return. I will not have some _primitive_ think he can threaten me."

_Oh now it's on_... Michael took a step forward...only to be held back by Kaidan putting an arm over his chest, the biotic's gaze on the Prothean. "That's good, we can use _any_ help we can get and be _friendly_ about it." The words seemed more aimed at _Michael_ than they were at the Prothean...and Michael nodded and relaxed, showing he had calmed down so Kaidan could let go. "Now, I'm Kaidan, this is James, Michael and Liara...what is _your_ name?"

_I suppose calming things down will help_... Michael sighed, and opposite him, the Prothean looked equally frustrated yet accepting the need for such things as introductions. "You may call me Javik."

"Nice to meet you, Javik." Michael nearly rolled his eyes at Kaidan's words, but let the man continue, his calm voice slowly defusing the situation. "Now, you say you don't know anything about the Crucible? Or the Catalyst?"

The Prothean, Javik, sighed, shrugging. "Nothing." _Oh yes, insult us over knowing nothing about it when you yourself don't_... "Save that the Crucible strikes at the soul of every Reaper in the galaxy."

"We read that...but what does that mean, exactly?"

"You...do not understand?" Javik stared at Kaidan, apparently stunned at the ignorance. "You...how foolish are you primitives! A _human_ leading the war-effort, an Asari with a_ speech-impairment_, did galactic evolution slow down after the end of my cycle!"

Michael glanced over at Liara, but the Asari still didn't speak, despite her mouth moving...though by now she was frowning, confused. "Yes, keep insulting us, but the primitives are the ones _armed_..." He shot Kaidan's admonishing look a glare, before turning it towards Javik. "Now assume we really are more primitive than you can _imagine_ and start from the beginning, what do you mean by _soul_?"

The Prothean glared back at him, but at least he replied, tone monotone and lecturing. "All organic life is is structured at the smallest of levels, information stored in our very cells that not only tell us what we are but _who_ we are..."

"You're talking about...DNA?" Kaidan shook his head. "But the Reapers don't-"

"Yes, DNA." The Prothean interrupted, glaring at the human. "All forms of synthetic life too has a soul, one of signals and non-signals..."

"Binary?"

"Yes, _binary_." Javik rolled the two rear eyes, looking annoyed. "Reapers, however, are _both_, a foul amalgam of organic and non-organic matter, not that you would know this..."

"Actually, we do." Michael snapped, the Prothean annoying him too much to stay quiet and listen. "We've analysed the remains of Sovereign, not to mentioned seen the process through which one is made...though those who made them, the Collectors, were destroyed, as were their creation."

"You...killed a Reaper?" Javik looked surprised, then cocked his head to the side, curious. "Collectors, it's your word for...Prothean husks, yes? You destroyed them? And a Reaper they were making?" Michael nodded, smirking at the way it made the Prothean take pause. "I...every dead Reaper is a good Reaper, and I...thank you for ending the slavery of my kin." There was a hint of respect in the Prothean's eyes as he inclined his head. "Very impressive...for a species so recently preferring the trees over the ground."

"Erm...thanks?" Michael arched an eyebrow, apparently the Prothean couldn't give a compliment without also insulting you. _I'm surprised they created an empire rather than destroy one another_...

"Yes, we've had our tangles with the Reapers, it's why their arrival was delayed and...all manner of things." Kaidan hurried past the memories, shooting Michael a glance before turning his attention back to Javik. "But what's with the Reapers soul?"

"You cannot understand it yet?" The Prothean scoffed, shaking his head. "The Reapers take our DNA, our souls, and warp it into their own. They turn it into their synthetic signals, but now it's not a signal or a non-signal, for our DNA contains _four_ blocks of unique information. That makes a Reaper _four_ times as intelligent as any synthetic of similar size, if not more...I am no scientist and never bothered to learn more than this..._basic_ part." He snorted the last words, obviously finding their lack of knowledge offensive. "By targeting such a unique soul, we knew we could eradicate them with one blow, without endangering what was left of our people."

"That's...interesting." Kaidan muttered, obviously struggling to stay civil. "Now, you seem to know us humans and Asari...and I _have_ read that your people studied ours...but I thought the arrival of the Reapers via the Citadel marked the end of communications between systems? How did you learn of us if you were cut off from the human and Asari systems? Or were they cut off only after you were born?"

"We waged our war against the Reapers for more than a thousand _years_, human." Javik shrugged. "I was born under an orbital bombardment and have through my life only known the war of my own system, the only contact to other systems was via weakening communications, not the Relays."

"So...you learnt of us via that?"

"No." The Prothean hesitated, gaze moving over Michael, a hint of a smile in the corner of his lips. "I learnt of you via old recordings...I liked the old nature shows left in our archives. Your people's attempts at mastering fire were greatly...amusing."

Michael snorted, not taking the bait. "I'm glad we could be of amusement."

"Yes, I-" Javik's smile disappeared, the Prothean hesitating as Michael felt an odd...pressure at his head. "_You_...you're...marked?"

Michael recoiled, Sovereign's words once more echoing through his skull. "**You are **_**marked**_**, Shepard**." He shook his head at the words. "**You **_**will**_** die**." _I_ _did_... "**Your galaxy **_**will**_** burn**." _I_..._no_... "**And you will have **_**failed**_."

"You have felt our people's mark on you..." Javik's words tore Michael from the cruel voice of Sovereign, the Prothean moving closer. "I sense it, you have touched our beacons..." The Prothean reached out, a lone finger reaching Michael's forehead...

_Fire_.

_Saren_.

_Agony_.

_Sovereign_.

_Death_.

_Collectors_.

_Harbinger_.

_Reapers_...

Image after image flickered before Michael's vision, making him freeze, unable to move as he stared at the closed eyes of the Prothean. At the same time, he felt something worm itself through the back of his mind, another set of images.

_Fire_.

_Betrayal_.

_Agony_.

_Desperation_.

_Harbinger_.

_Reapers_...

The images he was viewing were painful, horrible...full of desperation as Javik struggled with all those he could command. The images he had showed were just as painful, just as horrible...and just as full of desperation as Michael struggled nearly on his own.

Then, there was silence.

A slow gasp escaped them, Prothean and human both...and Javik took a step back, eyeing Michael with a strange look on his alien features. "You and I, Shepard, are of the same mind..."

"I...never told you his name was Shepard." Kaidan said, tone hesitant.

Michael didn't even glance at the biotic though, nodding at the Prothean as he extended his hand. "Yes we are."

Javik took the hand, this time there was nothing but the feel of a cold skin against Michael's. "I will follow your command."

"Err...what just happen?" James asked, but Michael ignored the question as he shook the alien's hand before taking a step back. "I mean...was that like the Asari melding?"

Javik tore his gaze from Michael, glaring at the other human as a hint of purple biotic energy suddenly covered him. "Do not insult me! This is not crude mating of an Asari but a simple exchange of information! _Why_ would I wish to mate with another species!"

_Because it's awesome_. Michael nearly answered the Prothean, only to blink. _Wait_..._mating_? "It's not always mating with the Asari either...you know..." He replied, glancing over at Liara, not quite daring to phrase the sentence into a question.

Finally, the woman seemed drawn out of her stupor, shaking her head as she blinked. "No, of course not." Shaking her head once more, she focused her gaze on the Prothean. "Clearly, your information is outdated...by fifty thousand years." She shook her head a third time. "I just...goddess...I have so many questions, I don't even know where to begin..."

Javik arched his brow, looking over at Michael in confusion, making him shrug. "Liara is a Prothean expert...to have a living Prothean to ask about his people is a dream come true to her."

"An expert, is she?" Javik crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm surprised the Asari have scholars, you were such brutes in my cycle." _Brutes_! Michael snickered, hearing James echoing his sentiment. The Prothean shot them an unamused look. "But at least _they_ had some potential."

_Ah, I see, you're an equal opportunities jerk_. Michael scowled, opening his mouth to speak.

Then Joker's voice shot through the radio. "Co- I mean Shepard, we have established contact with Palaven command...you might want to get up here."

"On my way." Michael sighed. _No quiet days here, nope_... "Liara, feel free to stay and chat with our friend here." The Asari didn't even seem to notice his words, caught in staring at the Prothean before her. _Heh_... "Kaidan, he might want to know the situation, you're good at briefings, so fill him in. James, go to the armoury and find something for Javik here to use, I sense he'll have a chance to kill some Reaper troops soon..."

Javik nodded. "I look forward to it."

With that, Michael marched off, shaking his head. _Okay, no information from that one, shit_..._but at least he'll fight with us, and like me, he'll do it to the bitter end_..._and who knows, maybe Liara can learn something useful that Javik hasn't thought of_?

Stepping into the elevator, Michael shook his head at his own foolishness._ Yeah, surely now is the time to be an optimist, Michael_...

_Dammit, I don't look forward to telling Hackett about this_...

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for always being hungry for more._


	13. Chapter 13

_Huh, never been to Palaven_...

Joker shifted in his seat, for once finding the leather chair uncomfortable, feeling distracted.

Even at full thrust, it would take them a while to reach Palaven – or rather its moon of Menae – from the Turian Relay, and Joker was very grateful for not being dropped right into the mess unfolding before him. _At least they're doing better than we did on Earth_.

According to their scanners, the Turians were actually putting up a good fight. The Reapers superior forces had made landings on both Palaven and Menae, dropping down hordes of husks as well as a few of their destroyers on the ground to grind the Turian army into the ground. Yet the Turians comm-chatter was surprisingly ordered, strained and clearly showing them as losing, but ordered. And the Turian fleet was still in the war, circling the Reaper fleet like wolves around a bear. They were making decisive attacks whenever the Reapers tried to land troops on their planet and moon, forcing the majority of the Reapers to defend the deploying troops, rather than focus their attention on the forces on the ground. It was disciplined, skilled, impressive...and utterly pointless. For while Joker wasn't an expert on the Reapers like Michael, he saw that the Reapers were in no hurry, that they were systematically wearing the Turians down, for their husks were expendable, but their opponents were not.

Still, the scanner did the battle little justice. In the distance, skirmishes between Turian frigates and fighters versus Reaper destroyers lit up the darkness of space. The dark shapes of the Reaper fleet was impossible to spot at the distance, only their ruby lasers as they tore through a Turian patrol fleet that had tried to evacuate civilians on Palaven showing where they were, and at that distance it looked more like a twinkling of stars rather than a battle.

The planet itself though...it was on fire. There was no other way to explain the mighty orange patches, enough to cover half the planet, raging over its dark surface. Whatever resistance the Turians had put up had made the Reapers respond with _force_, lighting entire cities on fire with their massive guns then retreating before the Turian fleet, letting the defenders on the ground battle husks while their world burnt around them. _I_..._don't think it was this bad on Earth, it's like_..._they're not holding back here_..._shit, should that be a comfort or just plain frightening_?

As to Menae...it was of a whitish grey colour, looking like a giant ball of yarn...and by now Joker was close enough to spot the odd Reaper destroyer, crawling upon the moon like some harmless insect. _Bet it's hell down there though_...

Yet for all that, for all the horror and death before him, on his instruments...it was not that which was distracting him.

EDI was sitting in the copilot seat, that is, _EDI_ was sitting in a chair, steering..._EDI._ Joker had trouble wrapping his head around that. Not that that was the major issue...no, the fact that she had taken a _human_-like body..._that_ was something to be distracted by. Distracted and _confused_ by.

Joker wasn't sure what to think of it. He had always thought of EDI as _Normandy's_ computer...to have her walking about on another platform...it was odd, and for some reason Joker didn't like how _others_ now looked at her as if she was a person, as if she _needed_ a body for them to realise this. Not only was it insulting, but it made her less...his. _Great, sound like a possessive boyfriend, why don't you_? Joker shifted once more in his seat, a sigh escaping him. A_nd dammit, did she have to pick such a __hot__ body_? His sigh turned into a grimace, he wasn't..._comfortable_ with thinking of it like that, it didn't feel _right_. EDI was amazing, clever and smart...and her somewhat odd humour tickled his funny bone in a way no other managed, he liked her, he _cared_ for her, she had become his _closest_ friend, one that constantly accompanied him...but Joker had never thought of her as _attractive_. Sure, mentally, perhaps, but to have her right _there_...with a body and all...it made his mind spin with confusion, not sure what to _do_ with such a development.

Of course, given his usual attitude towards attractive women Joker knew what he _should_ be doing...but it was _EDI_...leering at her was just _wrong_. Not only because it was a machine and not _her_, but because she was his _friend_. _Didn't stop me with Ashley_... Joker grimaced. _That was different, she was_..._unattainable like all other women, it makes it_..._easier_. He held back a groan. _And EDI isn't, you're saying_? Huffing, he glared at his controls. _Hell, with my condition sex isn't really on the table, now is it_? _And EDI's body is still a machine, not really of a __gender_..._though I guess __EDI__ is...oh for fuck's sake, listen to yourself, Jeff_..._it's_ _nothing_ _to_ _think_ _about_.

He paused, considering his thoughts, then shot EDI a confused glance. _Then why am I so bothered by this_?

Automatically, a reflex he had developed over his years of being reduced to looking but not touching, Joker soaked in the sight of EDI's body...only to shake his head in confusion. _It's a machine, get a grip Jeff_. _Then again, I guess the human body is a machine too...mine being a bit faulty, but still_..._no, what the hell are you thinking_!_ It's EDI, dammit_! _Stupid body_... He wasn't sure if he meant hers, or his own reacting to it. The machine didn't seem to notice his stare though, busy reading the display before her, the display _she_ was powering and filling with text...Joker couldn't quite wrap his head around it. _Is she trying to seem more human_..._or is this another of her jokes_?

"Yes, Jeff?" EDI suddenly spoke up, making him jump in his seat. _Or maybe she __did__ notice my stare_..._great_. "Is something wrong?"

"No, everything's fine." Joker snapped, annoyed with himself and his tone. Feeling guilty, he turned his attention back to war before him. _Millions are dying before me and I'm worrying more about my confused hormones, I suck_...

"Are you sure? You seem...tense." EDI sounded uncertain, much to Joker's surprise.

_Not that I wouldn't understand that if she was human_... Since EDI's change, things had gotten...difficult between them. Usually the cockpit resounded with some kind of banter, or at least the odd joke, now however, it was quiet, awkward. To her credit, at least EDI had _tried_ to keep up their usual routine, but to Joker it had just felt so..._weird_. "I just don't understand why you're in the cockpit." He blinked in surprise at his own words, wishing a moment later that he instead had swallowed his tongue as he glanced over at EDI, finding the machine looking at him with a puzzled frown. "Err...I mean, you're all over the ship, you don't _need_ to have your body sitting there to read the instruments, you can go and...you know...socialise with people...or whatever you intend to do with that body when not on missions."

Silence filled the room.

EDI looking at him, grey eyes unreadable, her face neutral.

Joker shifted where he sat, uncomfortable under her stare. _Or I could, you know, shoot myself and spare you the trouble of bashing my head in_...

Finally, she replied, words as neutral as the rest of her. "I prefer to be here."

"I...okay then...good." Joker turned back to his controls, nodding as he muttered under his breath. "Great..."

Then there was the familiar thumping of boots against the floor, the steps long and heavy, Michael's. The man's voice was strained as he came to a halt behind Joker, but at the same time in control, knowing exactly what to do. _Thank god, at least __one__ decision maker in this war isn't running around like a headless chicken_... "Joker, bring us in on the coordinates the Turians gave and then retreat once Cortez has deployed us. Keep the stealth systems running while we're off, we're here for a retrieval mission, not to fight Reapers."

"Awww, I don't get to kill _one_ measly Reaper? Come on, I'll do it real quick..." Joker glanced back at Michael's armoured form, giving the man a wry smirk. He struggled to hold back a grimace as he said the words though, feeling EDI's gaze on him, as if finding his sudden eagerness to joke with Michael but not with her confusing.

Michael's grim façade lifted for but a moment, teeth showing in a grin. "Maybe next time, for now, you're my taxi." Turning his head to the right, he nodded back towards the elevator. "EDI, it's time to deploy."

Joker's gaze drifted to the machine getting to her feet, finding her eyes still on him. "Errr...good luck."

"Statistically, the chances of getting 'lucky' in a situation like this, are low." EDI replied with a shrug.

"Errr..."

"That was a joke."

"Aha! Yeah...I don't get it."

EDI's eyes narrowed, lips forming what almost seemed to be a _pout_. "Apparently not." With that, the machine turned on her heels and marched towards the elevator, not looking back.

"I...what!" Joker shook his head, utterly confused as he felt a flush run up his neck.

Michael shrugged in response, eyebrow arched. "Women, eh?"

"Yeah...you know...in a _way_..." Joker turned back to his controls, frowning in irritation. "Organic or synthetic, they're still freaking crazy..."

The radio crackled next to him, making him jump as EDI's voice shot out, terse. "I'm still here, _Jeff_."

"Oh...right." Joker opened his mouth, trying to come up with something to smooth things over...and then let his head drop with a sigh as he gave up. "I'll just...shut up now."

Behind him, Michael chuckled.

8

8

8

"This is Lieutenant Cortez of the Normandy, requesting approach vector."

Looking over the shuttle pilot's head, Michael gazed out at the battle unfolding before him with a grim sense of satisfaction. The Turians were putting up a good fight...they couldn't win like that, but it gave him hope for the future. _Sure, just have to convince a Turian Primarch to make his forces abandon his homeworld for a Hail Mary attack on the Reaper main force on Earth_..._why can't I just solve everything by shooting stuff_?

The base they were approaching was under attack, its improvised walls of steel creating something akin to a medieval fort, or perhaps a walled village, given the many bunkers that dotted the ground within the walls. Its south wall was rife with troops, their combined shooting making it look like it was on fire. Outside the wall, hordes of Husks, Cannibals and...Michael wasn't even sure _what_ that last brutish thing was! "Is that a...Krogan husk with a Turian head? When did they even get a hold of Krogan?"

Behind him, EDI chimed in. "The Terminus is full of Krogan mercenaries, and Batarian privateers make frequent use of them, it's likely that the number of such creatures will increase if the Reapers get hold of a more reliable source of Krogan."_ Make sure they don't, got it_.

"In my cycle, the combinations the Reapers had managed to create were as numerous as the stars, for the Reapers we are but playthings." Javik growled.

"You're not much of a morale-booster, you know?" James quipped, triggering a small chuckle from Michael.

"Roger that, coming around." Cortez spoke, sounding surprisingly calm considering the situation.

_Wait_... Michael's eyes widened as he saw what could only be Turian husks, looking more like machines than a modified organic, as with readied weapons they quietly advanced on the northern wall of the Turian fort. They were not firing, instead they moved in a skirmish line, sneaking from cover to cover, melding with the greyish ground, becoming unnoticed by the single Turian sentry on the wall._ Shit, they now have clever husks_!

Michael almost managed to call out a warning, only to see how Turians jumped out from behind the parapet they'd been hiding behind as the Turian husks made the final run for the wall, turning a neglected defence into a firing line. There was a torrent of shots...almost more than needed as the Turians vented a particular hatred against their twisted comrades...and the Turian husks fell to the ground before they even had time to return fire. Instantly afterwards, the wall was left to a few sentries as the rest ran up towards the main assault, adding their firepower to the mix and tearing the enemy apart as the crossfire intensified. _Well_..._they're on top of things, it seems_.

"Okay, listen up." Michael turned to the others, eyeing them critically. "Reaper forces make it impossible to approach the Primarch's location via shuttle, so we'll hoof it once we're on the ground. I'll try to convince the one in charge of this camp to help, but if he won't, we'll do it quietly and swiftly, I'm not about to be bogged down in a futile battle."

The others nodded, even James turning grim as the seriousness of the situation settled in. With a small grunt he freed his Falcon grenade launcher, knocking the safety off even as he growled. "I've been waiting for this, payback time, Reapers..." Michael scowled at the man, considering repeating what he had just said about not getting into a battle, but then shrugged._ He could use the motivation_.

Kaidan looked calm, nodding at Michael's orders in agreement, no doubt glad to have such a set objective, not to mention intent on mending their fractured relationship by taking it easy on the criticism. _For now, I bet_..._eugh, Michael, just try to meet him half way or something_... "Do we know if Fedorian is still alive? This moon is seeing a lot of combat."

"Confirmed half an hour ago." Michael replied. "That said, they seem to have trouble raising him. Kaidan, that'll be your first priority, you rigged the bomb on Virmire..." The two men tensed, but Michael continued past the memory. "...so you can probably rig something up here as well."

"I find this diplomacy pointless. The Reapers are here, if the Turians won't fight for you, you _make_ them." Javik snapped, drawing Michael's gaze to him and Liara as they sat side by side. The Asari seemed torn. Either staring incredulously at Javik – whatever she had learnt had made her frown, and Michael hadn't had time to ask if it was the scientist in her not liking what she'd learnt or the woman fighting for the galaxy's survival – or at the terminal in the ship showing what the outside was like, eyes sad as she watched the slaughter. No doubt she also sensed the horrors the Reapers did to the Prothean via the meldings with Michael, amplifying the terrifying sight of the scenes before them. Michael felt it too, but to him, it was just another source of _anger_... "I'm also amazed that the most primitive species we watched during our cycle is the one succeeding the best against the Reapers."

"I would _love_ to 'make' them, but that's not how things work. That said, the Turian leadership is a military one, they'll see the strategic benefits of cooperation." Michael wished he was as sure as he sounded as he eyed Javik freeing his assault rifle. "And for the record, that Phaeston you're carrying is of _Turian_ make, just saying..."

"And it is _still_ primitive compared to anything my people had." Javik snorted. "But at least it _almost_ acts like a proper gun, even if this silly thing called reloading is still present, it doesn't have too much of that ridiculous recoil your civilisation's weapons have...I'm amazed you still don't use close combat weapons."

"Actually...we do." Michael smirked, remembering his omni-blade all too well.

Before him, Javik rolled all four of his eyes. "I wish I was surprised that the apes still hit each other with sticks..."

"Given the predominance of kinetic shields and armour designed versus small arms fire, the use of a weapon relying on a larger mass to punch through said armour and a speed too low to activate the shields is not a surprising development, although its use is still limited by range and situation, making it a secondary weapon." EDI chimed in, Tempest in hand. For some reason her words made Liara glance down at the machine's feet and shudder.

Javik narrowed his eyes at EDI though, shaking his head. "Nor am I surprised they let an AI _live_, the folly of the past continues in the future, I will be watching you, _machine_."

Michael rolled his eyes, but was grateful that Javik was using words now rather than biotic powers, which he had been close to when she had been revealed to him._ Bet Liara can find out why he's so against them_. He glanced at the worried-looking woman. _Or maybe she already does_... "EDI is an ally and friend, Javik, get over it."

"Besides, we should focus on the Reapers, shouldn't we?" Kaidan said in a surprising move of support for both Michael and EDI, making them both arch an eyebrow, something the biotic ignored as he shrugged at Javik, voice diplomatic. "It's them you want vengeance against, isn't it?"

"True..." Javik nodded, looking down at the floor with a grim look in his eyes. "...one battle at the time, yes..."

_Huh_..._thanks_. Michael shot Kaidan a nod, making the biotic shrug non-committally.

"Setting down now, sir." Cortez suddenly spoke up, making the people in the shuttle stand straighter as they prepared to disembark. "I'll head back to the Normandy and stay on station."

"Good man." Michael patted the man's shoulder as the shuttle shuddered when it found ground, the door opening a second later. "Okay team, with me."

Stepping onto the moon, Michael took a deep breath even as the shuttle took off. The air was thinner than he was used to, and the smell of ozone was heavy. The sky above was dark, save the brutal sight of the nearby Palaven on fire. Ahead, the wall lined with Turians barely did anything to mute the sound of them firing, though by now it was slackening as the offensive of the husks faltered. Not that the sound of _battle_ was dying out because of that. In the distance Michael heard explosions, the hacking sound of machine-gun fire, the blasts of Reaper lasers as giant destroyers strode across the moon, their blaring calls making the ground shake. "**Marked**...**you are marked, Shepard**...**your galaxy **_**will**_** burn**..." Michael shook his head, Sovereign's lingering words refusing to leave him be_. Damn you, you're dead, I'm alive, your truth is no more, I'll make my own truth_.

"Interesting..." Javik muttered, drawing Michael's gaze to the Prothean as he strode over to what Michael had assumed to be just another bunker, but now appeared as a giant..._creature_, its wings folded close to its huskified body, head almost Gethish, two heavy guns moulded into the place where its mouth should be. _And now they have flying husks too_..._I_ _hate this already_. The Prothean knelt by it, head cocked to the side as he reached out for it...

"Michael!"

Whirling his head around, Michael's face split into a smile at the sight of Garrus striding towards him, the scarred Turian grinning wide. "_Garrus_!" Stepping forward to meet him, Michael gripped the Turian's forearm, unable to stop smiling as his other hand moved to the shoulder of his friend. "You son of a...I was sure you were still on Palaven!"

"Well, I needed a change of scenery, urban fighting gets stale after a while." The Turian laughed, giving Michael's arm a firm shake. "You're a sight for sore eyes, you here means we're halfway to the point of beating the Reapers."

"Oh? I'm glad you're so confident in my abilities. What, the badass Turian can't solve this on his own?" Michael quipped, reluctantly releasing his friend's arm as he took a step back.

"Of course he can, but there's no sport if there's no competition...you'll lose, by the way." Garrus smirked, the scarred part of his face making it slightly lopsided, the smirk turned into a friendly smile as he glanced over Michael's shoulder. "And Liara too? It's good to see you, how's the information business?" Michael smiled at that, Liara had never really bonded with anyone else on the old Normandy, it was good to see Garrus accepting her without trouble.

"Full of Prothean super-weapons." The Asari replied, making Garrus' browplate rise in question. "You'll love it, no doubt, it's big, after all."

"Heh, yes, giant guns are good...it doesn't need me to calibrate it, does it?" Garrus smiled. "Still, it's good to see you, now...oh, hello, Kaidan." Garrus' voice shifted, turning polite, but far from the previous warmth. _Oh_, _right_..._they_ _never_ _did_ _get_ _along_. "Good to see you, Lieutenant."

"Actually, it's Major now." Kaidan corrected, a polite smile on his lips as he stepped forth. "And Spectre."

"Spectre, is it?" Garrus said, the overly polite tone not really fooling anyone. "Well I'm not surprised, given the changes they've done to the Spectre program it's _just_ your thing." Given that Garrus had dropped out due to those changes, Michael _knew_ it wasn't a compliment.

And Kaidan wasn't fooled either, tone as frosty as his politeness could manage, apparently remembering Garrus helping Michael and _Cerberus_. "It really is, it feels good to do what's _right_."

"Yes, well...as I said, I'm glad for you." Garrus grunted, shifting where he stood. "Now, given your expertise I'm guessing Michael here put you on helping us with our communication tower?" Michael nodded, making Garrus shoot a thumb back towards one of the bunkers, that one in particular sporting a long antenna. "It's right in there, but I doubt you'll reach Primarch Fedorian, it's a mess out there and I've already done what I can to get through without success."

Kaidan squared his shoulders. "Then I'll see what _I_ can do..." As an afterthought, he continued. "...to add to your work, of course."

"Be my guest..." Garrus stepped aside, gesturing for the bunker as Kaidan stepped past him and towards the bunker. Once the man was at a safe distance, the Turian turned back to Michael. "Really? You had to bring him?"

"He's a good guy, Garrus, and useful." Michael replied, chuckling.

"Doesn't change the fact that he's obnoxious." His friend replied, then shrugged. "But I guess we have to take our allies where we can find them in this situation, speaking of which, what's with that odd mech?"

"Hello, Garrus, it's good to see you again." EDI spoke up, the machine cocking her head to the side as she gauged Garrus' reaction.

"Wait...I know that voice..." Garrus stared at the machine, then over to Michael's smirk...and then back again to the machine. "EDI? You have a body now?" A small chuckle escaped him as he turned to Michael. "Really, your ship always ends up with the strangest of crew..." He turned his head, glancing at Javik now getting to his feet and marching over to them. "So what's this then? Let me guess, a Prothean?"

"Yes." Was the alien's reply, steadily meeting Garrus' gaze. "My name is Javik, Turian."

Silence.

Garrus stared at the Prothean, then slowly turned his head to look at Michael, a smirk slowly appearing. "Now this is a bad sign, I'm barely surprised by what you find any more... And you? You're some kind of super hero, or something?"

"Nah, I just shoot stuff." James replied with a shrug, grinning.

"Yep, I'm afraid I'm turning you completely jaded." Michael chuckled. "Soon you'll no longer appreciate Hanar poetry, that'll be the end of it."

A scoff escaped the Turian. "And for the better. EDI in a body, Kaidan, a Prothean, and a super weapon...? One _has_ to be jaded or they'd go insane around you."

"Might as well, given what the Reapers are up to." Michael grunted, remembering where they were and shooting a nod at the massive husk corpse at their side. "What the hell _is_ that?"

"Think it's a modified Harvester, they use them as gunships and transportation of troops, notice the hollow in the gut." Garrus grumbled. "We've ended up calling them dragons."

"Huh?" Michael arched an eyebrow at the Turian. "Why the human name?"

"Err...that's kind of my fault." Garrus admitted, rubbing his fringe. "You know what I'm like with human sayings and such, I mentioned that it sort of looked like one of those mythological creatures of yours to a general, not knowing a pair of privates were behind me...now _everyone_ call them that."

"Heh, good job." Michael grinned, then shot a nod back towards the northern wall. "And the Turian husks?"

"Marauders." Garrus grimaced. "The reason for that name is less...amusing."

"I see." Michael made a face, annoyed with having ruined the good fun of their reunion, not that there was any way around that. _Damn_ _Reapers_... "Well, I hate to break up a reunion, but I have a Primarch to get a hold of, you think the one in charge of this base could help out?"

"I believe I can answer that." Another Turian spoke up as he came marching towards Michael, smoking vindicator in and hand and his pale scales covered in white facial tattoos. "I'm General Adrien Victus, a pleasure to meet you, Garrus has told me a lot about you." He offered his hand. "I've been briefed on your mission and agree that it's of utmost importance that we get the Primarch out of the system, my troops will be ready to march in moments."

Which Michael took, giving it a firm shake, despite his surprise. "General...thank you...I didn't expect _that_ much help, actually, you're willing to give up this base just like that?"

"This is just another stronghold, if we hold it too long though we'll be overwhelmed, I've seen it before." The General replied. "With the overwhelming force of the Reapers we need to keep moving, I'm sad to say this lesson was learnt the hard way..." An angry growl escaped the Turian. "So yes, I'll have us move out to save Fedorian, I'm already concerned for him."

"Oh?"

"Yes, he has _not_ learnt this lesson..." Victus grimaced. "...he's set on 'holding the line', defending his land to the last and defeating the Reapers at all cost...and now I can't reach him, you understand why that would make me worried."

_Well_..._I don't like the first part of that, but I like him being willing to defeat the Reapers at all costs, I can work with this_. "Good, we need him if we're to beat these things, can you take us to...Kaidan?"

The man came jogging up to them, frowning. "I got the communication tower working for a few moments..." Garrus cocked his head to the side at that, looking a little annoyed, but Kaidan ignored it. "...they're still in their base...and that's about all I got out of it before the communications were cut, I think their tower got destroyed, the signal just went dead."

"Well then...there's no time to lose." Victus turned towards the southern wall. "Men!" Turning, the soldiers on the walls straightened, they looked tired, but alert, a gleam in their eyes as they looked to their general. "Time to save us a Primarch!"

A cheer, ragged, but a cheer none the less, rose from the Turians.

Michael nodded, feeling a surge of adrenaline through him as he drew his Revenant and looked over to Garrus pulling forth a powerful Widow...and found his grin mirrored in the Turian's face.

"Just like old times."

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for all the time she gives me._


	14. Chapter 14

"So you want to withdraw the Turian fleet for a counter-attack against the Reaper main force, using it, along with any other allies you can call upon, as an escort for this Prothean anti-Reaper weapon?"

Victus was speaking in a hushed voice, though given the impossibility of a near hundred Turians to move quietly on the march, it was perhaps a bit unnecessary. Yet given that their column moving down a craggy valley had yet to be discovered, despite having moved worryingly close to some enemy activity, his caution wasn't something one could fault. As with Turians in general, his face was less expressive than a human's, yet it was clear he was hesitant about the plan, but he wasn't _dismissing_ it either. _If Fedorian doesn't agree right away, maybe Garrus and Victus could help sway him_...

"I'd love to have a better plan, one where we _know_ the key component, but there's just no time for that. So we're trying to figure out exactly what it _does_, build it, and find this Catalyst...while getting allies for a proper escort...and you can see how that makes it a pain." Michael offered a crooked smile. "It's...well it is a long shot, but I believe in Liara's analysis of the weapon, and...well...what other choice do we _have_? Wherever the Reapers go in force, we _die_, they're stronger, more advanced...and hell, I think they even _outnumber_ us in terms of ships. Let me tell you something I learned three years ago that the Council might have concealed from you. The Reapers have done this thousands, maybe _millions_ of times over, The Relays and the Citadel is their doing, _all_ our technology is based on their technology, they know our weapons and armour and their capabilities before we even _make_ them! Sovereign, a lone Reaper Dreadnought, took a _fleet_ to destroy! And now we have _uncountable_ number of destroyers protecting an _armada_ of similar Dreadnoughts...I can see us destroying a few of the smaller ones...but that won't be much of a comfort once we're all dead."

Victus looked at him, listened, then turned his head, staring at the ground, brown eyes intense with thoughts.

For a long while, all Michael heard was the distant sound of battles being waged as well as the scraping of armour and scratch of boots against stone as the Turian column continued its march.

Then he finally spoke, head still downcast, voice muted. "High command recently tried a counter-attack on Palaven, to defeat the main Reaper fleet in an all out assault. A _single_ Reaper dreadnought was destroyed by focused fire." Michael held back his grin at the thought of one more dead Reaper, knowing more would come. "We lost three dreadnoughts in that battle, add five cruisers to our losses, as well as repairs for six more dreadnoughts and twelve cruisers...the largest fleet in the galaxy, and we were brushed off with one lucky kill."

"That's more than most have managed." Michael managed, grimacing at the maths of such battles continuing.

"Not much comfort knowing that we can't survive more such encounters." Victus grumbled, head still downcast. "We can't win via attrition, that's for sure. We need to hit them where they least expect it with everything we have, super-weapon or not, that makes your plan...logical, _desperate_, but logical. One roll of the dice..."

"I never did like analogies involving dice, too random...maybe going all out on a pair of jacks?" Garrus chimed in, making Michael look back and give the Turian a grin...though it was dulled by finding Kaidan just behind his friend, the other Spectre hovering near the conversation to listen in. They might have gotten on better now, but apparently the man was still set on keeping an eye on Michael...and however much Michael might _intellectually_ appreciate it...it was a bit annoying.

"Hey, I'm at least a _king_..." Michael smirked at Garrus.

"Let's just compromise...queen." Garrus winked back, then paused as Michael arched an eyebrow before stating, matter-of-factly. "And I'm obviously the ace."

"Ace is also a 'one', you know..."

"Ha! That was a poor comeback."

Michael chuckled, giving a bow of his head. "I know, I apologise."

Next to him, Victus was staring at them. "Are you two always like this while in a battle?"

"Nah." Garrus shook his head. "Sometimes Michael's also funny."

"Very funny, jackass." Michael grinned at the Turian.

Garrus opened his mouth to respond but before he could, a Turian soldier appeared on the ridge ahead, the woman's hands on her knees as she breathed with exertion and stayed low, the Turian's gravely voice slightly lighter than a man's. "Sir, Fedorian's camp is beyond the next ridge, but enemy forces are holding it, mainly husks and a few Brutes." _Brutes, right, I suppose that's a fitting name for those big thing_s...

"Hmmm...a screening force, it sounds like, will keep us at bay until they've dealt with Fedorian." Victus nodded at his own words, then moved his hand up to his ear. "Troops, fan out and advance, but stay low, we'll halt at the ridge." Turning his head, he looked to Michael. "Shepard, care to have a look at our opposition before we rush forth?"

"Look before we leap? I suppose I might as well try new things..." Michael chuckled.

With that, the troop, now spread out, advanced up the ridge. Michael and his entourage were with Victus in the centre, flanked by the near hundred Turians under his command as the force quietly advanced on the unsuspecting foes._ Not that husks care about being taken by surprise_...

Reaching the top, Michael dropped prone, as did men and women all along the line as they crawled up the final feet, eyes fixed on the threat ahead.

A large valley separated the two ridges, nearly a kilometre wide and unoccupied by enemy troops. Instead they were concentrated on the ridge at the other side, the rocky ground there literally _teeming_ with husks, enough to outnumber the Turians three times over. With them, twelve massive Brutes stood, like clumsy ships moving in a sea of darkness. It was hard to pinpoint sounds with the battles raging across the moon, but Michael was sure he could hear at least sporadic gunfire from beyond the ridge, meaning Fedorian was still in the fight.

"I only see one Marauder." Victus muttered, nodding at the creature in question. "That'll make things easier. If there had been a detachment we would have had problems, not only do they have firepower, but they're tactical, and seem to make these simpler husks smarter too."

"Huh, it's humans they want due to our genetic potential, yet we make them most disposable soldiers for them...odd." Michael muttered back, earning him a curious glance from Victus, apparently he hadn't been told of what the Reapers did...given the Council's stubbornness to stave off panic by not showing anyone his reports, Michael wasn't surprised. "What of the Brutes? I gather they're pretty tough, will that pose a problem?"

Before Victus could reply, Garrus grunted. "Note the terrain, General."

Following Victus' gaze, Michael arched an eyebrow in confusion. The valley between the two ridges was unremarkable to say the least, it was just a matt of pale grey sand, not even sporting the rock formations that usually dotted the landscape. Smooth and unremarkable. Victus, however, didn't seem to see that, his eyes lighting up. "Ah, yes, I believe you have a point there, Vakarian." _Huh_? Moving his hand up to his ear again, the Turian spoke in a hushed whisper. "Ready troops, we'll do the rug move on these creatures, prepare to advance at my signal." _Rug_ _move_! "Shepard, if you'd please just stay here, we'll remove this obstacle shortly." Victus shot him a confident grin, and looking down the line, Michael saw more of the Turians grin at the order.

"Well...it's your battle...are you sure?" Michael eyed the many husks ahead with a frown.

"Positive, don't worry, this one will be easy." Victus turned to Garrus. "Vakarian, I'd like to make sure we get no losses, so please take that Marauder out of the picture."

"With pleasure." The Turian smoothly lined up his rifle.

"There's a lot of obstructing husks in the way..." James muttered, sounding uncertain at the idea of speaking his mind around a General. "...you sure you don't want more taking aim? Just in case?"

"Please..." Garrus smirked as he put his uncovered eye in line with his scope, the eye covered by the blue visor narrowing. "...don't insult me."

He squeezed the trigger.

With a jerk, the distant shape of the Marauder twitched, head exploding like a ripe grapefruit, making James whistle even as Victus jumped to his feet! "Now! Charge!"

"Charge...?" Michael asked to no one in particular, not believing his eyes as the entire Turian troop launched themselves forward, firing like madmen at the enemy ahead, even Victus was with them, in fact, the General was at the _front_ of the charge, Phaeston spewing shots in the general direction of his foes. Blinking, Michael looked over to Garrus for clarification, but the Turian was just smirking, content to stay and watch at whatever Victus had planned.

Moaning, the husks turned to face the Turians, hisses escaping them as they launched themselves forward, leaping down the ridge in great strides, unheeding of the bullets whipping around them. The Brutes were slower to react, but roared as one before hurling themselves forth, their larger mass giving them a frightening momentum as they bore down on the Turians, easily catching up with the husks for a joint charge.

"Goddess...what are they doing?" Liara whispered, sounding frightened...and Michael could only shake his head in disbelief as the much smaller Turian force kept running forward, their fire not even _close_ to kill enough enemies to make the impending close combat anything but a one-sided slaughter.

"_Now_!" Victus shout cut through the gunfire...and as one the Turians came to a full stop, their firing stopping completely as all of them reached for a grenade in their belt. _Okay, so blowing a few up might help, but not nearly enough to_... Then, they threw them hard, right at their feet, the explosives thumping down deep in the sand. _What the hell_! "Back! Now!" Again, the Turians immediately obeyed, turning heel and running back up the ridge, though the husks were nearly upon them already, and would easily catch up...

Then the grenades went off.

With a boom, the ground the Turians had just retreated from gave way, sending the husks that had reached it tumbling down or flying sky high. The ground continued to give way though, like a rolling wave on the sea, it moved forward, the ground simply turning to mush, collapsing and sending all who stood atop it crashing downwards.

Finally, in a cloud of dust, the ground settled, the valley having collapsed down until it met black rocks. A Brute had died in the fall, chest impaled upon a sharp cliff that had laid below the sand. The others were struggling to their feet though, and while many Husks lay broken at the bottom, some were still stirring, uncaring of their losses as they hissed and tried to crawl up to solid ground.

"Kill them!" Again, Victus order was obeyed the second it was given, the retreating Turians once more turning, reloading their weapons before moving up to the edge of the collapsed ground. A moment later the Turians opened fire, assault rifles scything through the husks trying to crawl up to them, then those still trying to rise, then turning to the Brutes, concentrating their shots as one at a time to swiftly tear them apart.

In moments, it was over.

"So...pull the rug from beneath them, eh?" Michael grinned as he got to his feet. "How underhanded..."

"You're just jealous that you didn't get to be the one pulling off that trick." Garrus snickered, giving Michael a pat on the back as the group began to climb down to join the Turian as they began the gruesome task of climbing down the collapsed ground and over the corpses littering it to reach the other side. "Menae is full of these sinkholes, takes some experience to see them, and once you do, you have yourself a trap supplied by nature itself. Shame the Reapers have enough husks to fill them all..." Garrus' tone shifted, the amusement replaced by...anguish. Looking over at the Turian in surprise, Michael found Garrus staring up at Palaven, eyes blurry, hands clenching his rifle. _Yeah_..._I guess this is painful for you_...

Michael had...trouble understanding such pain, he himself had no real emotional bonds to his homeworld, and Anderson...well...Michael knew he would grieve for the man if he died, but it wasn't the same as if someone on his crew died. _My ship is my home like Palaven is to Garrus_... Michael lowered his head, frowning as he tried to imagine Joker and Chakwas dead and the ship on fire...and that was all too easy. Feeling sick to his stomach with the thought, he returned Garrus' pat on the back. "We'll beat them."

"Yeah..." Garrus muttered, hesitating, then nodding. "...yeah we will." He shot Michael a smirk, hiding the pain. "It's what we do, right?"

"Well...mostly me." Michael winked back, earning him a punch to the shoulder.

"Are you two done? We have a Primarch to save." Kaidan suddenly snapped, making the two friends glance back at him in surprise, Michael confused by the irritated look on Kaidan's face. _Huh, what crawled up your ass all of a sudden_?

Turning back to the climb ahead as they moved towards the ridge where a worryingly quiet line of Turian soldiers now stood, Michael smirked as Garrus muttered. "You're right, Kaidan, perish the thought that we'd have a conversation while walking, who cares about maintaining friendships, right?"

Behind them, Kaidan's mouth snapped shut with an audible click. _Heh_...

With that, they reached the summit.

_Dammit_!

Around him, Michael found the Turian soldiers staring at the sight ahead in horror, but he himself only knew frustration and anger at it. _Dammit_! _Dammit_! _Dammit_!

The fort was similar to the one they'd left behind, but the steel walls were smashed inwards in at least six places, each gap littered with the corpses of Husks and Brutes, only a few Turians in the piles, and even fewer lay dead on the parapets. Yet the deeper into the fort you looked, the more Turian dead littered the ground, men and women lying next to Husks, Brutes and Marauders in a chaotic mix, telling a tale of a disorganized retreat once the Turians had failed to contain the gaps in their walls. Yet most of them were in the small bunkers dotting the inside of the fort, husks of all types surrounding the strongholds, piles of them laying dead, yet obviously, that final defence hadn't managed to hold them back either.

There, a bunker was nothing but a pile of broken metal and Turian limbs as a dead Brute lay atop it, claws still deep within the heap of metal.

There, another bunker was still burning, charred Turian skeletons in armour stuck upon its walls, killed before they could get out of their fiery tomb.

There, a third bunker's insides were covered in blue blood and dead Husks, claws still covered with gore from the Turian dead lying next to them.

"Dammit..." Victus echoed Michael's thoughts, though his voice was muted with grief. "The fool...and all his men...such a waste." He pointed over to the last bunker Michael had looked to, or more specifically, a darkly armoured Turian still clutching at his blue intestines as they coiled out of him like a bundle of rope. "I'm afraid Fedorian won't be much help to you, Shepard...dammit." Ahead, the other Turians were moving forward, slowly and without much hope looking for survivors.

"Well...fuck!" Michael grunted, then glared at Victus, struggling to contain the anger suddenly bubbling through his veins. "What now! Who's the next Primarch!"

Victus ignored Michael's tone with a shrug and moved his hand up to his ear. "Get me Palaven Command...Palaven Command, this is General Adrien Victus, Primarch Fedorian is dead and I need to know who's the next Primarch." A pause, and the Turian frowned. "Yes, I'm _aware_ Palaven is being hit hard and taking heavy casualties, even among the officers, but I still need a name, you know as well as I do that the Council requires a Primarch for the war summit." He glanced over at Michael, sighing. "I pity the poor fool getting the job at this time..."

"Just. Give. Me. A. Name." Michael growled, his good mood from meeting Garrus gone, the others in the group staring at him, apparently surprised with his sudden mood swing. _They don't understand, they can __never__ understand, not truly_. Michael gritted his teeth. _But I do, I know the __stakes more than anyone, so give me a name, you plodding piece of_...

"Ah, okay, so the Primarch is..." The General blinked, then blinked again, eyes turning wide as he stared up at Palaven, then over to Michael, voice soft with shock. "...Adrien Victus..."

"What? They've lost that many in the Hierarchy already? That's bad..." Garrus grunted even as Michael found his teeth flashing in a grin. "Err...Michael?"

He grabbed the forearm of Adrien, shaking it firmly. "Congratulations, Primarch, you're coming with me."

"I...guess I should." Victus leant his head back, giving Michael a curious look. "Though...I'd prefer to stay with my men..."

"This war isn't about what we'd like, it's about what has to be done, and you _know_ what we're trying to do...so you know coming with me is your _only_ option." _And if you disagree, I'll drag you to the Normandy myself_... Michael glowered at the Turian, not about to allow any hesitation now, nor for the Turian to try and find some kind of option, the time for choice, for even _allowing_ it, was _over_.

"I..." Adrien hesitated, making Michael grip his forearm tighter, not that the Turian noticed with his armour on. "...yes...you're right." He nodded, a sad look in his eyes as he turned to look over at the burning Palaven. "But as Primarch...I have a responsibility to my people."

Michael narrowed his eyes, not liking where the conversation was heading. "Your responsibility, _everyone's_ responsibility, is to the _galaxy_."

Victus looked down, making Michael realise he was still holding the Turian's forearm and reluctantly let it go. "I understand, Shepard, I do, but it's hard to act as such with my world _burning_..."

"Hard, but not impossible." Michael snapped. "This isn't about any _one_ world, Primarch."

"I agree." The Turian nodded, but then looked back to Palaven. "That said...I have a responsibility."

Gritting his teeth, Michael shook his head. "Whatever, let's just go, we can discuss this...whatever it is, on the Normandy."

"Agreed, lead the way, Spectre, I'll send my men to join General Tacitus." Victus looked over at Garrus. "Vakarian, will you join us?"

The Turian tore his gaze away from Michael, giving the Primarch a nod. "Of course, sir." Then he looked back to Michael, the concern written across his face badly hidden. "Can't have Michael here steal all the glory, I have a reputation to uphold..."

Michael forced a smile. "I knew you would. Vakarian and Shepard, right to the end."

"I'll try not to steal _all_ the kills."

"Heh..."

8

8

8

_Hmpf, clean_..._of course it is_.

Michael hadn't even fired any of his guns on Menae, but habits were hard to break, and it would be wrong not to check them after each mission, as such he was down in the shuttle bay, working at the armoury in the corner.

To his left, Cortez was busy working on the Kodiak, as always making tiny modifications to the shuttle to squeeze just a bit more performance out of her...Michael whole-heartedly approved of that. He approved less of James not even bothering to check his weapons...but the man had claimed he'd do it later and was at least working out...so Michael had let it slide. With the others either done with checking their gear or having postponed it, Liara in particular had practically _rushed_ to her office to work on the Prothean data while dragging a reluctant-looking Javik along with her, Michael was alone doing some fine-tuning to his weapons.

It was curious, but with Kassa Fabrication's development of a modification chip to the magazine slot of assault rifles that allowed for less heat build up, and as such, more shots per heat sink, companies had started to vie about creating the latest modification to various weapons. Of course, with them all relying on the gun's internal power system, not all modifications could be installed at once, which meant a smart soldier had to pick them apart smartly in order to maximise the effectiveness. _Plus, installation is still a bitch_... Grunting, Michael closed the side-casing to his Revenant.

_Heat conductivity for more shots, kinetic coil generators for better penetration for facing tougher targets_..._yeah, this'll work_. Pushing the weapon to the side, he moved to the next, grimacing at the Viper. _Is it worth it_? _It's not quite my style, I move around too much, trying to get up close_...

"Viper, eh? It's not really you, you're too impatient for it." Garrus suddenly spoke, as if reading Michael's mind, the Turian stepping up next to Michael with a friendly smile. "Here, try this, I brought it with me with you in mind." He slid a white rifle onto the table. "Behold, the Turian-make Raptor rifle, an assault rifle modified into a sniper rifle for mid-to-long range. Fifteen shots a clip, negligible recoil, a suppressive weapon with enough punch to at least nail the enemies in the open and keep those in cover from shooting back. You know, a weapon we _real_ snipers don't even bother with, but which _you_ might appreciate..." Garrus paused, making Michael shoot him a knowing smirk. "...because your aim sucks."

"How _thoughtful_ of you..." Michael snickered, but accepted the gift by pulling the weapon up and resting the butt against his shoulder as he got a feel for its weight. "Well if you say it's good for me, I suppose I have to take your word for it...and fifteen shots mean I'll kill _fourteen_ more than you with each clip." This time, _Garrus_ snickered. "Actually, that reminds me, I have a gift for you as well, being a Spectre has its perks, you see." Putting down the rifle, Michael activated his omni-tool, a few taps enough to make one of the boxes stacked against the wall in front of him slide open, the casing within holding a few choice weapons, though the one in Michael's mind easily stood out. "Can you spot it, Mr Eagle-eye?"

"Oh my..." Garrus breathed, eyes wide as he slowly reached out, pulling the weapon free from its socket.

"May I introduce you to the _Black_ Widow, a modified Widow with greater heat conductivity, allowing for _three_ shots per clip, and that at only a minor loss of shot power, recoil is still heavy, as is the gun, but a skilled marksman can utterly wreck three targets at a time...so I figured that a _decent_ marksman like you could at least do _some_ damage with it." Michael shrugged, grinning. "So now I'll only do _twelve_ more kills than you per clip, but I'm generous like that and...Garrus?"

The Turian wasn't looking at him, instead he looked down at the Black Widow as he cradled it in his arms, as if it was a baby. "What's that, girl? You want to shoot something? Why yes, I think I can help you with that..."

"Errr...right, you're a psycho." Michael commented, making the Turian laugh as he put the weapon down on the table. "But I'm glad you like it, you'll need it."

"Yes, I suppose I will." Garrus' laugh died out as he got serious. "For instance, I heard Cerberus is the enemy now, Kaidan was _very_ eager to tell me that." The Turian grimaced. "Not that I'm surprised, you and The Illusive Man might have respected one another, but you could never work together without friction. You both want to lead and do things _your_ way...and as I understand it, compromise wasn't really on the table given your diverging ideas of how to beat the Reapers." Michael eyed Garrus as the Turian paused, then smiled. "For the record, I think you're the one with the right idea, The Illusive Man's plan is madness."

"Of course it is, his plan relies on a foolish risk...I can't help but think he's indoctrinated, it's too convenient that he becomes our enemy at this time, and that by trying something even more far-fetched than _our_ plan."

Garrus hesitated, obviously having heard about Kaidan and Michael's talks about the later perhaps being a Reaper or Cerberus agent, but to his credit, the Turian said nothing. "True, and it's bound to get more complicated too, if previous experience tells us anything."

Michael's mood soured, the reason for him moving so swiftly to work on his weapons and not focus on the mission ahead resurfacing. "Yeah, and your Primarch has been a _great_ help with that."

Garrus grimaced. "Look, I _know_ you want the Turian fleet right this instance, but you got to look at it from his perspective. Earth might be where the Reapers are the most concentrated, but those here are merciless in slaughtering us, without Krogan infantry to help ours, Palaven is doomed the moment we remove our fleet from the system."

"And without the Turian fleet the _galaxy_ is doomed!" Michael snapped, angry with himself for taking out his frustration on the undeserving Garrus, but not knowing what else to do. "You know as well as I do that the Krogan won't exactly be lining up to help your people, we could lose _months_ trying to get their help while your fleet is slowly ground into _nothing_! In the grand scope of things, one world is _nothing_!"

Silence filled the room.

Then Garrus, eyes hard, took a step closer, close enough for his breath to brush against Michael as he spoke, voice filled with suppressed anger. "That _one_ world is my _home_."

"I know, I didn't mean that-"

"The home of _billions_."

"Yes, but-"

"And you are asking Victus to abandon it to save _your_ home...you should be _damn_ glad he even _considered_ it."

"_Save_!" Michael blustered, unable to help himself. He _knew_ he should be apologising, but he couldn't help himself. "By the time we have a force to attack Earth, I fully expect everyone there to be _dead_! And if not, what do you think will happen! You think the Reapers will even _hesitate_ to put Earth at their back! Each Dreadnought missing a shot when we attack them will be as if a nuclear bomb has been detonated in the atmosphere! And even if we get to attack them at a good angle there will be ships crashing down on the planet as they're caught by its gravity! Us counter-attacking at Earth will ensure that _nothing_ will live there _ever_ again!" Michael shook his head violently. "And I'm _fine_ with that! Because I _know_ that if we don't do that we'll lose _much_ more! Something_ no one_ else in the _galaxy_ seems to understand! This is a fight for _survival_! Not territory or power!"

The two men stared at one another.

The silence stretching between them.

Then, Garrus shifted and looked away with a grimace. "That's ruthless thinking...and maybe the only thing that may save us." He looked back to Michael. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you didn't know how horrible this war already is or the price-"

"No, no, I'm sorry." Michael raised his hands, shoulders slumping. "I...dammit, it's your _home_, I shouldn't have brushed it aside like that, or grumble about Victus' unwillingness to sacrifice his people, even though-"

"Even though _you're_ willing to do so." Garrus finished for him, sighing as he put a hand on Michael's shoulder. "I'm...glad you're here, I'm not sure I'd be strong enough to make such a call."

"You might have to be." Michael muttered, hand coming up to hold Garrus' in place on his shoulder. "But at least those I truly care about aren't stuck on a planet with Reapers..." He grimaced, forcing himself to ask the question. "How's your family?"

"I...wasn't around when the Reapers hit." Garrus pulled his hand free as he turned towards the table of weapons, hands coming down to grip the edge as he stared at the boxes of weapons ahead. His voice was eerily calm and matter-of-factly. "Mother's...dead, she was already too sick to leave the house, so when the Reapers came father had to make sure they wouldn't...get to her."

"Oh Garrus, I'm so-"

"He did what he had to do, then left with my sister, they're still stuck on Palaven." A small chuckle. "My sister might be the only pacifist Turian I know, I always made fun of her for that, you know...and now she's stuck in a husk-infested hell-hole, the woman who barely knows how to hold a rifle..." A sigh. "She'd do much better on a medical frigate...but at least she has father helping her, though he's...old, not the fighter he once was." He turned his head, offering a sad smile. "But at least they're alive, and trying to reach a pick-up, once they're on a ship they'll be of much more help to the war-effort and..._safer_."

"Your father is tough, they'll make it." Michael said with more confidence than he felt._ All it takes is one Reaper and they'll be gone in a flash_...

Garrus offered a tired smile as he looked down at the Black Widow, clawed finger trailing its length. "I'm too old for those platitudes, Michael. We both know their chances are low, and relying to chance as much as skill."

"Yeah...well the Vakarian blood is strong, I have it on good authority one of them even survived a bullet to the face." Michael managed, chuckling slightly as the words teased a smile out of Garrus. "Still look like crap by the way."

"Really?" Garrus raised his chin to show the scar across his right face, smirking. "Because back on Palaven all the Turian ladies were all over me and my scar."

"Is that so?" Michael smiled, happy to move to safer subjects. "I'm sure it was just those fame-goggles. You're famous and therefore attractive, if not for that you'd be as popular as a Krogan at a cocktail party."

"Oh? So does that mean that all those papers proclaiming you the most eligible bachelor were full of crap too?" Garrus replied, making Michael chuckle. "It's good to know you've gotten more modest since we took on the Collectors."

"Ha! I wouldn't know about that, but then again, I'm hardly a bachelor any more, not that it's not amusing letting people think so..."

"Ah yes, how is Tali anyway?"

Michael's face fell, making Garrus grimace as he realised he had stepped on a nerve. "I...can't get into contact with her. I try every day, but there's no reply, in fact, EDI's guessing that the Migrant fleet is actively blocking all communications outside their fleet."

"Sounds like they're hiding." Garrus noted with a frown. "From the Reapers, maybe?"

"I don't know." Michael admitted with an irritated sigh. "It's maddening..."

"Well, at least the Migrant fleet is formidable, she's probably safer there than with us." Garrus said with a shrug.

Michael smiled at that, cocking his head to the side. "What was it you said about platitudes, Garrus?"

"Heh..." The Turian looked away, then sighed and glanced at the elevator. "Well, at least you have me here, and Doctor T'soni, it'll be good with a familiar face here...one that's not _Kaidan_, that is." The Turian grimaced.

Michael laughed softly, following Garrus' gaze. "Yeah, it's good to have her here, I can't tell you how much I've been relying on her as of late..." The Turian shot him a glance. "...and Doctor Chakwas is here too if you haven't seen her yet, oh and Doctor Michel, you remember, from the Citadel?" This time, the Turian grimaced. "What?"

"I know her, _very_ well..." The grimace didn't fade. "...how couldn't I, when she keeps sending me messages every bloody day since the day I saved her from a few thugs?"

"Ha! You have an admirer, it seems!" Michael laughed, giving his friend's shoulder a shove. "You dog!"

"Yeah, I'm a regular Casanova...still don't get that expression by the way..." Garrus shrugged, looking away. "I'm just not...up to the whole dating scene yet, not now with a war going on, too risky..." _Ah_. Michael grimaced, remembering their mission through the Omega Four Relay far too well. "Really, did she have to have red hair too! I...no, it's just too disturbing to think about." Garrus turned back to Michael, smiling as he pushed the supporting hand coming forth aside. "No, don't worry, I'll be fine. Maybe _after_ this war I'll go find a nice blue Turian lady with a penchant for sharpshooting and with a delicious waist."

"Waist? Is that a Turian...thing?" Michael chuckled. "You guys are weird."

"Says the one representing a race obsessed with weird globules of fat designed to feed _infants_."

Michael laughed.

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being the Jerry to my Tom._


	15. Chapter 15

Michael was in a _foul_ mood.

It was bad enough that Victus refused to send Turian help unless he got Krogan boots on Palaven, but instead of going directly to Tuchanka to _ask_ for help, they had to go to the Citadel and _discuss_ the bloody thing with the _Council_! And this time, it wasn't the Turians being difficult, but the Salarians and Asari! Yes, Michael could understand the Salarians being hesitant about talking to the Krogan, but what option did they have? At least they seemed willing to talk, motivated by a mix of fear of the Reapers and of losing the Turian military in the war. As to the _Asari_...Michael could only shake his head at it.

First of all, Tevos had opposed allowing a Krogan on the Citadel _at all_! Though she claimed this was to maintain the security and order of the Citadel, Udina had whispered to Michael that the Asari were worried about Wrex's continuously growing power and feared that allowing him entrance to the Citadel for talks would further strengthen his legitimacy. Secondly, being the ones famous for their diplomacy and ability to get people to cooperate, Michael had at least expected them to _participate_! But so far such discussions had been for naught, the Asari refused to allow a diplomatic meeting with the Krogan on the Citadel, further, they refused to take part in _any_ talks,wherever they may be. Again, Udina had told him that the Asari were careful about their reputation and, figuring any talks with the bitter Krogan would fail, didn't want to risk tarnishing that reputation.

At that point Michael had nearly been blind with rage.

_They worry about the bloody future_! _About how they'll look_! _Can't they see that if the Reapers win there won't __be__ a future_!_ Of course they can't_...

Marching through the Presidium towards C-sec headquarters, Michael's mouth was a bitter line. In full armour he stood out among the people, and though his face was that of the famous Shepard, none approached him this day, his obvious anger holding even the dimmest of people back. As he marched, he glanced down at his omni-tool again, gaze flashing over the current news on the war on the Asari front, bitter at what he saw. He had already read it all, but he found himself glancing at it again and again, feeling his anger swell.

The Asari were foolish to think there would be a future without them doing everything they could to fight the Reapers, but there _was_ a logic behind it...for while Earth was all but lost and fighting was desperate on Palaven, and even the Salarians were on constantly high alert despite going nearly ignored so far...the Asari were _winning_. There was a hint of smugness in the reports the Asari command filed, nearly no lost ships, Reaper bases and outposts hit with massive enemy casualties and no reprisal...it was enough to even make some suggest that the _Turians_ should study their ways.

Yet Michael knew better. The Reapers didn't care for lost husks, so why would they even _bother_ hunting the elusive Asari fleet when they had _planets_ to conquer? And though the Asari continued to report successful evacuations of planets and attacks on Reaper controlled ones, Michael noted how each planet the Reapers were being hit on so successfully had once been an _Asari_ planet, and each time they reported such a victory that victory was ever closer to the Parnitha system and their homeworld of Thessia...

So yes, Tevos might feel safe in the war, confident that the storm would blow over with the Asari stronger than ever compared to the other races...but Michael wondered for how _long_ she would feel that. _Hopefully__ not long_..._I could do with the Asari knowing the stakes_, _which will only happen when they find themselves burning_..._fools_. Michael held back an audible growl as a woman in an evening gown gave him a wide birth, her eyes wide.

_I should have punched her_...

Of course, Michael hadn't, he still knew what his mission was, and it wasn't to make _enemies_...and there had been the fact that _Kaidan_ had been there, the man calming the situation as he offered to take over the negotiations with the help of Udina while Michael tended to his other business.

Michael had _gladly_ accepted that offer. Kaidan was a far better diplomat, after all, and could be trusted to keep Udina in line. Of course, with Tevos as she was Michael was sure the talks would end up with an annoying compromise that required him to supply the Normandy as neutral ground, Udina had hinted at that. Which would of course be another delay when he _should_ be focusing on the Catalyst and gathering further allies... _Dammit, can't people ever do things themselves_? _Send another ship, do I __look__ like I have time to babysit a Dalatrass and Victus_! _Why must I always be a glorified errand boy_?

The thought nearly drew a laugh out of him, reminding him of the _other_ reason for him being so glad to leave Kaidan to do the negotiations. While Kaidan probably understood the need for allies, he was...finicky about which kind they employed, something Michael knew they couldn't afford. As such he had quickly gotten himself to sit down for a talk with Aria in the Purgatory bar, Aria and the _terrorist_ Balak.

It hadn't been a pleasant conversation, the two men in it would have gladly killed one another in any other circumstances, but with Michael knowing what was at stake and Balak at least having a hint of it, while Aria acted the mediator...a mediator with armed thugs in the same room...they had managed to work out an alliance. What was left of the Hegemony fleet was now effectively at Michael's disposal, and he had made sure to have them send a delegation to Hackett so they'd feel they weren't just used as pawns but were allies, while sending the rest of the fleet to raid Reaper fleets in Alliance space to slow their progress there. The Batarians would normally have loathed directly aiding the Alliance, but with the fall of their entire empire, they were more than eager to enact revenge, however small, upon the Reapers...as such they had already begun to move their fleets, much to Michael's relief.

Then Aria, the only Asari besides Liara that seemed to know what danger they were in, had done Michael another favour. _Favour_? _Heh_... The corner of Michael's mouth twitched. Aria might be helping him due to knowing what was at stake, but it was clear that while her helping him in winning over the mercenaries of the Terminus systems would strengthen his army, the survivors of the war would _also_ prove useful for her to reconquer Omega from Cerberus. _That is, if there __are__ survivors_..._still, she's making a good deal no matter what_..._a clever one_...

Gaining these mercenaries' support, however, had proven a filthy job, and Michael was _glad_ Kaidan wasn't there to see what was happening. The Blood Pack were already his, roughly three thousand Vorcha were ready to serve once the call was made, the act of replacing one leader with another enough to make them join Aria, as had the Blue Suns...Michael made a face. Dealing with Vido, a man he and Zaeed had once tried to _kill_, had been frustrating, the man had taken pains to make Michael crawl in the dirt for him to gain his favour, and while he hadn't succeeded, the task he had asked for in return for the service of two thousand mercenaries had been _steep_...and made Michael feel dirty.

Septimus Oraka had been an acquaintance, and a good man...but his bullheaded refusal to stop fighting the Blue Suns, even when the _Spectre_ had raised his voice, had been frustrating. So Michael had been forced to deal with a moronic Salarian, agreeing to go on a damn _treasure hunt_...

Michael had been so close, _so close_, to asking Aria to order a hit on the general, to simply _remove_ the problem.

It frightened him.

_I'm not the Illusive Man, I won't take the easy path_... Michael shuddered in revulsion, the distinction from the Illusive Man anything but enough to convince him he hadn't just hadn't made the wrong call, that he _should_ have had the Turian killed. _Yes, you should have, it's not moral, but you have said over and over you'd do whatever it takes to beat the Reapers, you made the moral, and __wrong__, choice_...

He nearly snarled in anger at his own thought._ I know that_!

_At least this choice will be easier_..._perhaps __Kaidan__ would see this as immoral, but I'm not him_. Stepping into c-sec headquarters, Michael ignored the hustle and bustle of working officers, as well as the questioning stares, as he made straight for the detainment level, legs automatically following Aria's directions.

The secure cell was a single room, currently barred by a decidedly locked door, the armed Turian there eyeing Michael with surprise as the human moved closer. "Commander? Can I help you? Are you lo-"

Michael glared at the guard. "Is this Jona Sederis' cell?"

"Errr...yes Commander." The Turian shifted where he stood, uncomfortable under the hard stare of the Spectre.

"Open it."

"I...we're not authorized to-"

"I'm a _Spectre_, I'm _authorizing_ it." Michael snapped. "Now open the door."

"Errr...yes Commander." Taking a step to the side, the Turian moved to a console, fingers moving over the holographic display. "Are you sure..." He flinched as he glanced back at Michael's hard stare. "Opening it, yes sir."

A moment later, the door opened, revealing a purple Asari dressed in a yellow prisoners garb, the woman sitting on a steel bench, but now rising to her feet with a mad grin on her face at the sight of Michael. "Ah, finally, I knew you would have to spring me out, being a Spectre means _nothing_ when I have the power of the Ecli-"

Michael drew his pistol, took aim, and fired.

_You better come through with our deal, Sayn_, _three thousand mechs for Sederis' head_...

A moment later the former leader of the Eclipse dropped to her knees, purple blood spraying the wall behind her as the hole between her wide eyes revealed where the shot had landed.

The next moment she collapsed, dead.

"Hands up!" The Turian's voice shook, but the assault rifle aimed at Michael didn't waver, and behind him there was chaos as more C-Sec officers came rushing down, weapons drawn. "Don't you take another step!"

Michael glared at the guard as if he was nothing but an annoying bug, making the Turian visibly wither, the weapon in his hands wavering. "You _know_ I'm a Spectre, you _know_ I'm above the law, you _know_ you can't arrest me and that _I'm_ the one of us who'll get away with shooting the other. So I _suggest_ you lower that weapon before I beat you to death with it."

The guard's eyes widened in fear, then darted over to the dead Asari, hesitating. "I...this is abuse of power, sir...I...Spectre's aren't supposed to use their power like that!"

"Maybe it is and maybe I shouldn't, but that doesn't matter to me; you'll stand down..._now_." Michael's tone was dark by now...and the Turian lowered his rifle in the blink of an eye, muttering a curse under his breath. "Good choice, I'll make sure Bailey will hear of you being a smart one."

With that, Michael turned on his heel and marched out, the crowd of staring C-Sec operatives parting before him, some looking frightened, some impressed and quite a few looking _hostile_. _Doesn't matter, I have Bailey to keep them in line, I'll let him deal with the fallout, though I ought to send him a warning, just in case_... Moving his hand up to his face, Michael activated his omni-tool. "Bailey, this is Shepard, I've just executed Jona Sederis using my Spectre authority, you might hear a few complaints from the men. That guard there has a brain by the way, for a moment I thought I'd have to break his arm, but he came to his senses."

"What? Shiiit...Shepard, I knew we agreed that you'd do what has to be done and I'll keep the peace, but did you have to kill her! Eclipse will riot all over the Wards!"

"No, they won't, I've made...arrangements."

"I don't think I want to know."

"It'll mean less crime on the Citadel, for one."

"Well that's something, at least...but jeez, would it kill you to slow down enough to let the rest of us know what's going on?"

"Yes."

"Great, now I don't know if you're kidding..."

_Neither do I, actually_... His face a grim mask, Michael walked on to his next errand, stepping out of the C-Sec headquarters and its staring occupants. "Don't worry about it, I've got things covered at my end, just make sure your people know not to get in my way and we'll both end up the better for it."

"You could have told me this before..." Bailey sighed. "Oh well, I'll see to it, Bailey out."

Lowering his arm, Michael grimaced. He felt agitated...limbs warm, hot blood pumping through his veins as his heart thudded hard in his chest. The discussion with the Council had angered him more than it should, and then having to deal with Balak, killing Oraka and now Sederis...Michael felt stressed with each event, and as such moved faster to get things done, which only made him feel _more_ stressed...

He almost felt a little faint by now.

_Where did Liara say she'd meet me_? _Damn, I knew I should have written it down_... Michael looked around himself, finding himself atop a balcony in the Presidium, overlooking a maze of curving paths separated by greenery, benches and various stalls selling luxury items. _Damn, is it wrong of me just to want to walk around there for a while, doing nothing_? He shook off the foolish thought, he had a job to do. He was sure Liara felt the same way, wanting nothing more but to call him over to relax and be friends for a while rather than allies, but he was also sure she had called him over to talk about what she'd learnt of the Crucible and Javik. Having the talks on the Citadel rather than the Normandy was simply the only luxury they could afford.

_Ah, there_! Smiling at the sight of Liara in the distance, Michael noted that she'd picked a good position, separate from the others sitting in an 'outdoors' restaurant and with a good view of the Presidium stretching out below. It was the perfect spot to sit down for a long talk, pleasant enough to make up for any unpleasant topics. The Asari hadn't spotted him, instead she had her brow furrowed as she eyed the datapad in her hand in deep concentration, the cup of tea before her forgotten as work took precedence.

_If only everyone was as diligent as her, we'd be winning this war by now_... Feeling some of the tension ease away from him, Michael moved down a couple of stairs as he worked his way past the odd Presidium resident – by this time the streets were sparse of people – and towards his favourite Asari, worriedly eyeing the way she slouched in her chair, looking weary.

But he wasn't the _only_ one who was looking at her.

_Wait_..._she_ _looks_ _familiar_... Michael's gaze caught sight of the elder Asari behind the counter near the wall of the restaurant, absently polishing a glass as her head was turned to watch Liara's back.

Frowning, he didn't like the idea of his friends being watched, Michael's steps lengthened, choosing to go for the elder Asari before he'd have his talk with Liara. The woman didn't notice him until he was nearly on top of her, and though she didn't jump in fright when she did, there was a flash of biotic energy behind her eyes as she found herself caught red-handed. Michael forced a polite smile though, leaning an arm on the counter as he nodded at her. "Well hello there! Long time, no see...I think we met on Illium, right? You were that Asari Matriarch with some great ideas about making new Mass Relays and the Asari military, right?"

"And you're that human Spectre that actually _listened_ to my ideas and even _agreed_, yes, I remember you. Name's Aethyta, in case you've forgotten." The Asari turned her head, glancing over at a short, raven-haired woman busy pouring two drinks. "Jessica, cover for me." The human serving wench offered a quick nod without taking her eyes from her job, and Aethyta nodded to Michael to move over to a corner of the counter. "So the great Commander Shepard here on the Citadel instead of out fighting the Reapers? What's the occasion?" Aethyta's gaze moved down as she pulled two glasses from underneath the counter as well as a bottle of some kind or red liquid Michael had never seen before.

"Oh you know, this and that, mostly knocking my head against a wall until I see blood..." Michael muttered, watching the drink the Asari had brought being poured into the two glasses, one of them being offered to him.

"Ah, Council business then." Aethyta noted with a shake of her head before pouring a bit more of the drink into Michael's glass. "Sorry, boy, but with the Asari having so much power the matriarchs' love for keeping things as they are is sure to affect the Council's decisions, or that is, their _lack_ of making decisions. Here's to them." With that, the Asari grabbed her glass and poured the entire contents down her throat in one swig, making Michael arch an eyebrow. "What? Don't tell me I drink too much or I'll show you how good I am at head-butting people..."

"Oh I wouldn't dream of risking _that_..." Michael chuckled and grabbed his own glass, taking a swig...only to gasp as he pulled the glass away from his mouth, most of the content ending either in the glass or on the counter as he spit out a curse. "By all the unholy...it's liquid _fire_!"

"Guess I should have warned you." Aethyta smirked as she shrugged. "But I figured the great Shepard would be able to handle it..."

Michael made a face, breathing heavily as he fanned his burning face. "God...I think my taste buds are gone...and half my tongue..." The Asari before him chuckled dutifully at the sight, looking a little smug as Michael slowly regained control of his body. "That was some kind of Krogan drink, wasn't it? Ryncol?" The Asari grinned. "Oh that's just cruel..." Michael shook his head, chuckling at being beaten by the Asari in terms of drinking before even finishing _one_ glass. "That said...I could ask you the same question." Aethyta frowned in confusion. "Why are _you_ here? Didn't you have your job at Illium? Hell, I thought you were there to be _away_ from the Asari leaders, and now you're on the _Citadel_ of all places."

"Well things were getting a bit stuffy..." Aethyta shrugged. "...figured I could use a change of scenery. The Presidium might be a bit _pretty_ for my tastes, but the pay is good enough, plus it's safer here than under the Asari government's 'protection'."

"Yeah, it is a bit _too_ pretty for your tastes..." Michael muttered the words, finding himself curious as he suddenly got the prickling feeling that the woman before him was _lying_ to him. "And the Matriarchs just...let you be here? Despite your opinions? I'd figure they'd at least make life difficult for you, yet here you are, at the heart of the Citadel..." Michael frowned as Aethyta shifted where she stood. He wasn't even _close_ to Tali in reading body-language, but months with a woman almost always with a hidden face had taught him a few cues...and those told him the Asari was getting worried. "You know, I can't help but think I've seen you before, as in not on Illium but somewhere _else_..." This time, Aethyta shifted again, head tilting as she held back from glancing over at Liara. _Got_ _you_. "Wait...you're _here_ now, and back on Illium you were practically working under Liara's nose..." Michael's eyes narrowed into slits as the Asari took a step back. "...why are you spying on her?"

Aethyta hesitated for a second, but then sighed and stepped close to the counter, not looking away from his angry stare. "Why indeed? Why would, say the Asari government, want to keep an eye on the Shadow Broker? A woman with enough information to start a war in ten minutes? A woman with ties to a human Spectre that's been working with _Cerberus_..."

"I'm Cerberus' _enemy_, don't think anything else." Michael snarled, inching closer, glaring at the Asari. "And if you think I'm going to _allow_ someone spying on my-"

"Ah, that's rich, I'm horrible for spying on the spy?" Aethyta interrupted, shaking her head as she placed her palms on the counter and glared back at Michael. "And what? You think you can stop me from keeping an eye on her? It's my damn _responsibility_, and you should be happy they let me do it instead of someone else, someone that might not have trouble with removing the Shadow Broker _permanently_."

"Are you _threatening_ her! I'll rip...wait...responsibility?" Michael blinked, anger mixing with confusion.

Aethyta sighed, looking over to Liara. "I'm...her father."

"Oh." Michael stared at the Asari, too surprised to say anything else as something within him twitched, coiling up through his gut, dark and angry...

"Yeah..." The Asari shrugged, looking back to Michael. "So with my daughter being what she is I should at least keep-"

Then Michael recovered, the dark worm in his gut filling his lungs. "You _dare_ claim responsibility? _Now_?" Michael hissed the questions, making Aethyta blink in confusion.

Michael remembered his own lack of a father with bitterness, and the man that had come to the Alliance headquarters before the Reaper attack, claiming to be his father now that he was a Spectre and famous, was another bitter memory. The fact that Michael had sent the man away without even looking at him or agreeing to the DNA test was _not_ enough of a balm on the wounds of his brutal childhood...one of loneliness with a drugged mother and a gang of murderers and rapists, a childhood where another parent could have made all the difference.

But he also knew Liara. Their old meldings had revealed her loneliness, of the distance from her mother, how she so easily had ended up alone in the world, abandoned and making her own life as a scholar. Like Michael, she had made herself into what she was without any help from either her distant mother _or_ her absent father. It had been painful for them both to reach the point they were at, but they had _done_ it...and _now_, now that she was a powerful person of influence...her 'father' thought she had a _right_ to interfere in her life!

"Where _were_ you when she became further and further estranged from her mother? Where were _you_ when she was risking her life in the Terminus systems as an archaeologist, with_ no one_ to even _talk_ to if things went south? Where were _you_ when the Geth nearly killed her on Therum? When Saren was hunting her?" Michael shook his head violently. "Hell! If you were watching her on Illium, then why didn't you do _anything_ when the Shadow Broker tried to _kill_ her!" Aethyta flinched at the words. "You care _that_ little about her safety and now want to claim _responsibility_! You can go to _hell_!"

"Listen, _boy_, I did what I _could_, but the Shadow Broker had agents all over the place and kept me away, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't insinuate I don't care about _my_ daughter..." The Asari leant over the desk, voice a hiss.

"But you _don't_!" Michael snapped back, making the wench at the other side of the counter inch further back along with her frightened-looking customer. "You didn't raise her! You never helped her! All you've done is _spy_ on her! She doesn't even _know_ of you! Don't you think not knowing who her father is _hurts_ her! _Especially_ after losing her mother! But you can't even give her _that_!" Michael jabbed a finger in the Asari's face, eyes turning into slits. "You have _no_ claim on her! _None_! And don't you _dare_ claim otherwise!"

"Her mother _kept_ me from her! Finding her in the Terminus systems was _impossible_ and now spying on her is the _only_ thing keeping the Matriarchs off her back!" Aethyta growled, though her body-language wasn't in it, she was...hurt. "I'm doing what I can for her! Maybe it's not enough but it's all I _can_ do! Don't you think it hurts _me_ to have her so close, yet unable to say anything! But I _do_ it, because it keeps her _safe_!" An angry shake of her head, and Aethyta's slapped Michael's accusing finger aside. "And don't _you_ dare lecture me about keeping her safe! You've put her in more combat situations than most Asari _commandos_ have seen!"

"Hey! That's not fair! I had to bring her to-"

"Life _isn't_ fair! Or hasn't the great Commander Shepard learnt that yet!" Aethyta snapped, silencing Michael as the pair glared at one another, neither budging or allowing themselves to look away. "So you may think me a bad parent, _fine_, but _don't_ be a hypocrite and lecture me about keeping her safe..."

"You think just because necessity forces me to put her in combat makes me a hypocrite?" Michael had now lowered his tone, turning it into a low growl. "_I_ have no choice, but _you_ left Liara with Benezia, _you_ didn't even stay in _touch_ or _try_ to help when Liara cut her ties with her mother, and you _can't_ say you couldn't have tried..."

Before him, Aethyta opened her mouth, but no words came as she took half a step backwards...then she glanced over Michael's shoulder, her blue skin going visibly paler as a familiar voice spoke up. "What's going on here?"

Turning, Michael's eyes widened at the sight of Liara standing right in front of him, her civilian garb subtly armoured and a pistol poorly concealed under her jacket...and eyes tired as she looked at the two before her with her arms crossed in front of her chest. "I...Liara...hey...so...heard us talking, did you?"

"How could I not, with you two shouting?" Liara sighed. "Be glad no one picked up my name with you shouting about safety and throwing accusations around..." Shaking her head, the Asari frowned. "Now, what's going on? Why are you shouting?"

"I...well..." Michael glanced back, finding Aethyta's mouth still open, the Asari taking a step back as she shot him a desperate look. "...Liara I don't know how to tell you this...but this is your..." He tried not to sound as if he found the title confusing. "..._father_..."

With a dramatic roll of her eyes and a sigh, Liara shook her head. "I _know_ that."

"You...do?" Michael wasn't sure _who_ asked the question, him or Aethyta.

"Yes, and that she's spying on me on behalf of the Matriarchs..." Liara shot Michael a tired, but somewhat amused glance. "You didn't think the _Shadow_ _Broker_ would find out about this?"

"But...then why not..." Michael struggled for words, not sure which question to ask first.

Again, Liara sighed. "Because Aethyta is more lenient than any other spy would be, several times she's edited her reports to the Matriarchs so they won't get information about my dealings that might make them take a more hostile stance against me."

"You've...read my reports?" Aethyta croaked, the Asari still looking awfully pale.

"I'm a very _good_ information broker." Liara replied, hands finally dropping to her sides. "I..._dammit_..." Her voice shook, if only for a moment, a hand coming up to rub her brow. "Michael, could you...give us a moment?"

"Sure..." Michael took a step away from the counter, shooting Aethyta a suspicious look, then turning to Liara. "You want me to wait over at your table or...?"

"No, we can have that discussion later, this might take a while and I don't want to force you to wait." Liara smiled, though only thinly. "I'll see you back on the Normandy." She shifted her stance...and Michael could almost _feel_ her desperate need for him to leave her alone with the other woman.

"I...okay then..." Michael walked past her, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "...I'll see you later then." He offered a quick smile, then looked away as he strode off, not too happy to leave Liara alone with the other Asari, but knowing there was no option that didn't involve breaking her trust.

_Please take care_.

8

8

8

"So...you're my father." Liara studied the woman at the other side of the counter, she had seen many vids and pictures of Aethyta. She was, after all, a small faction within the Asari government, but an _important_ one; all the more so for her role as the one in charge of spying on the new Shadow Broker. Not to mention that Liara had felt a need to at least know what her father _looked_ like...

The vids didn't do the other Asari justice, she was taller than Liara, enough to match most human men. Though her face was worn by age and scared from a lively life involving many a Krogan mercenary, there was something of a savage beauty in the woman, even with her fully covering dress it was clear she was fit, nearly matching Liara who seemed to spend every other day in _combat_.

While her eye-colour along with her cheekbones came from Benezia, Liara could see her jaw-line and nose on Aethyta, as well as the shape of her eyes and mouth. It was of course silly to note such things, that wasn't how Asari reproduction worked...yet it still felt..._nice_...to see such similarities between them.

"Yeah...guess I am..." Aethyta replied, the woman too looking Liara over. "You look...good, maybe a bit scrawny...what do they feed you on the Normandy?"

"Standard rations." Liara sighed, feeling awkward about Aethyta trying to be parental within moments of them meeting. Noticing this...the other Asari got an uncertain look in her eyes and took a step back. _Okay, nothing to lose, I suppose_..._she's just a stranger after all_..._a stranger that is the reason I exist, but still_... "So I suppose we should...you know..._talk_."

"Yeah..." Aethyta agreed, awkwardly rubbing her arm as she bit her lower lip.

Silence.

_Dammit_... Her shoulders dropping, Liara breathed out as she lowered her head to stare at the counter. "So...why didn't you?"

"Huh?"

Liara looked away, unable to look the other woman in the eyes as she spoke. "What Michael was about to ask...why didn't you ever try to get in touch? Even after Benezia's death...I didn't know who you were, but surely a woman in your position knew where _I_ was..." _Maybe she never did, that would make things easier_..._yes_..._maybe_...

"Kid...I..." Aethyta hesitated, making Liara look back to her, the other Asari's shoulders slumping as she cocked her head to the side. "...what was I supposed to say? 'Hey there kid, I'm your father you've never even heard of.'?" The matriarch looked away. "You...had your life and I didn't want to...impose."

Liara frowned in anger, but then noted the look in Aethyta's eyes, the _guilt, _and found herself speaking in a soft voice."Sounds like you were _scared_..."

"So maybe I was, is that a crime?" Aethyta snapped, only to pinch the bridge of her nose a moment later. "Sorry, you didn't deserve that, I'm just...this is a bit new to me. I've had a lot of kids through my years, but none that I have never spoken to..."

_Yes, poor you_... The bitter thought nearly instantly disappeared when Liara blinked at the meaning of her father's words. "I...I have siblings?"

"I thought you were a _good_ information broker...?" Aethyta smirked.

"I have been...busy." Liara grimaced, yet felt something kindle within her as she kept on topic. "So...I really have..." _A family_. "...siblings?"

"Sure do." Aethyta smiled. "Want their contact information?"

"I...no, maybe after the war." _If there __is__ a time after the war_. Liara looked away again, feeling as if her heart was being squeezed tight by a vice. "I have too much work to do to let that distract me...but...later, yes..."

"Well, I _suppose_ you could get their information without my help too, that with your job and all..." Aethyta muttered, sounding uncertain.

"No." Liara replied, a bit too eager for her own liking as she offered the woman an uncertain smile. "From you will...it'll be fine."

"Ah, good." Aethyta said, shifting where she stood. "Suppose it would be fun to go to Thessia for the spring-festival bringing with me another family member...would be a nice little reunion." She smiled.

And Liara, to her surprise, found herself smiling as well. "Yes...yes it does..." A small chuckle. "I'll make such a fool of myself, I'm not very good at being social..."

"Nonsense, you know _the_ Commander Shepard, the others will be all over you, two of them practically _worship_ him...ah, to be young again." Aethyta smirked. "Heck, if you start telling them how much of those vids about you and him are _true_ they'll probably combust..."

Liara grimaced, cheeks flushing._ Goddess, not this again_. "Look, the movies they made based on our missions were _very_ exaggerated with some parts..." Aethyta crossed her arms over her chest, looking smug. "...I've never _been_ with or...well..._thought_ of me with him..." The other Asari looked unimpressed, cocking her head to the side with a smirk as Liara's cheeks flushed more and more. "Okay, so _maybe_ we melded a few times, but that's _it_. It was only to learn some information from him that he couldn't impart in any other ways, it wasn't sex, not _really_..."

Aethyta shrugged with a chuckle. "Sure, it's not, just the same way a hand job isn't." Liara spluttered. "But you don't see me passing them off to any random stranger, now do you?"

"I...that isn't..." Liara stared at her father, eyes wide as her lower lip trembled...and then looked away. "That was a...vulgar way to put it." She _knew_ she hadn't _exactly_ been truthful about the nature of the melding she had done with Michael, neither to him or anyone else, but she refused to think of it as a lie. Sure, it had been a very...intimate experience, even more so since Michael had been her _first_...but it had_ not_ been sex. _So why did I just call him my first_? _And why am I embarrassed_?

"It's accurate though." Aethyta snorted, then frowned as she leant her elbows down on the counter, looking worried. "Look, kid, Shepard is right that I have no right to involve myself in your life, not yet, anyway...but as a woman with a near thousand years of experience I'd advise you to be careful with yourself, _especially_ your heart..."

"It's nothing, really." Liara tried to casually wave it off. "Shepard has his girl, and I'm happy for the both of them, end of story."

It was true, she _was_ happy for them. In her meldings with him, Liara had felt Michael's conflicting emotions with Ashley, of the need to cut loose...but also the growing affection for Tali, of a true _love_ that was like a balm on old wounds that no melding could help. Him finally accepting that love had been so good for him that the thought of it was enough to bring happy tears to Liara's eyes, because that way at least _one_ of them had found a place in the world. Of course, she also knew from said meldings that he found _her_ beautiful...and a good _friend_...

Liara, knowing how meldings worked, had been better at concealing her true feelings about the man in question.

It was curious, but after a few drinks Tali had once admitted she'd fallen head over heels for Michael the moment she met him, when he had rescued her...and that their adventures had slowly tied them closer together as their similarities came to light. Yet Liara had _also_ been rescued by Michael, and had _also_ found herself to be bound more and more to him as time went on...yet _no one_ had ever _considered_ that she might feel the same way about the man...not even _Michael_.

_Of course, he's a bit_..._daft when it comes to such matters_. Liara's lips widened in a sad smile, remembering the man's fumbling with his love for Tali with affection. It had been curious, being an outsider on the ship, only really accepted by Michael and Kaidan, Liara had felt as if she was watching the events on the old Normandy as if it had been on a stage. She had been there, but separate from the events.

_And I'm socially a coward_. Liara's smile faded, the sadness lingering. With Ashley and Tali vying for Michael's attention, how would she have _dared_ to give voice to her own wish? _Especially_ when she knew where Michael's heart lay...it had simply not been an option. And after he had died she had done _everything_ she could to bring him back, _unable_ to let him go...and even though it was unnecessary, she had offered to meld with him again when he'd visited her on Ilium, _technically_ to see if his mind was intact...but sometimes she wondered at her motivation for offering it. Yet despite all that...Michael had never seen it, and Liara was _immensely_ grateful for that.

_I know who he loves but_..._if only Tali and I could share_... Liara shook the ridiculous thought aside. _Human and Quarian culture isn't as open-minded as the Asari's_...

She sighed, there was no use thinking about it, things were as they were, and Liara was _happy_ for the two lovers, she truly _was_...

Then, a blue hand waved in front of her eyes, making Liara's eyes bulge as she stared at Aethyta, finding the other Asari smirking. "Sure, that's _all_ there is to it, you just zoned out over something unrelated, got it, you have me convinced." Her voice dripped with sarcasm, making Liara's face burn. "Just...be careful."

"I will." Liara replied, eager to change the subject. "How are the Asari faring by the way? I mean _truly_ faring...I don't trust the news and my agents have trouble reporting now that there is so much unrest."

Aethyta smiled at the obvious change of topic, but answered. "Honestly, it's going well, or so their _leadership_ thinks, that's why Tevos is putting her foot down, feeling confident in denying your Shepard..." _Not mine, dammit, father_! Aethyta ignored Liara's blush. "...his little meeting. I've argued against it, but as _usual_, I'm overruled..." A weary sigh escaped Aethyta. "Of course, when they realise that losing a few husks won't actually _stop_ the Reaper fleet I expect a full blown panic. They'll understand we don't have enough troops to face them in open battle. If only they'd _listened_ and had more of our people train to be Commandos...so many potential veteran warriors with biotics, and we've thrown them away for generations..." The woman shook her head and waved her words off. "Ignore me, it's an old argument of mine, no use now..."

"I _have_ thought of blackmailing Tevos into being more helpful..." Liara muttered, putting a finger against her lips and frowning. "For instance, she's actually _very_ friendly with a certain human reporter known for her pro-human pieces..."

"Might work, might not, either way you'd end up with her as your enemy." Aethyta grimaced. "The Asari might not be doing anything to help you right now, but I don't think you want them _actively_ working against you..."

"I know, that's why I've not done anything." Liara sighed. "It's just..._frustrating_, here we are on the brink of extinction and people can't find it in themselves to cooperate to save themselves..."

"I wouldn't say that." Aethyta smiled. "You and Shepard saved the Citadel three years ago together with a Turian, a Quarian and a _Krogan_...and if such a disparate group can come under one banner and work together, I wouldn't put it past their races to succeed with it as well."

"It was...Michael that made that work." Liara muttered, looking away with a sigh. "And now he has to do it with billions more...it's too much of a burden for any one person."

"Then _help_ him." Aethyta replied, making Liara look up and nod, hearing the wisdom of the words. "But...just be _careful_."

"I will...father."

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being the Roadrunner to my Coyote._


	16. Chapter 16

"Here!"

"Left! Go left!"

"Shoot!"

Sweating profusely, James rushed left, only to find himself cut off and forced to make a violent turn to the right and nearly loose his charge. Knowing that shooting was out of the question with his swift opponent right up his face, he instead threw the charge over to the one crying out for him to take the shot.

With one smooth move that bellied the fact that he'd never played the game, Garrus caught the ball, jumped...and threw it across half the cargo hold and perfectly into the metal ring they had riveted to the wall at the far side of the cargo hold.

"Ha! Twenty to eighteen, suck on _that_!" James exclaimed, pumping his fist as he moved towards the ball and offered Garrus a quick fist bump, Liara being a bit slower to do the same, just recently having figured out how to do it without _actually_ punching the person in front of her.

"Suck on what?" T'soni's question drew a soft chuckle from the humans in the cargo hold, making them slow down as they took the opportunity to take a short rest...though none seemed willing to admit that they were pushing their endurance to the limit. _But as uncle always said, if you're going to work out, you do it well or not at all_. James grinned, shaking off a bead of sweat from his nose as he bent down to rest his hands on his knees. _Whew_..._damn_ _good_ _teams_ _though_.

After having left the Citadel for the Annos Basin and some diplomatic crap Vega was glad he didn't have to take part in, the ship had shifted in its atmosphere. The regular crew seemed to have appreciated the shore leave, but none on the team had really had any save James. Vakarian had apparently been busy organising Turian refugees, T'soni never _stopped_ working, while Shepard and Alenko had been busy with their diplomacy. Even _Javik_ had been busy brooding over the news of the war...and somehow their worries and stress had infected the ship, making the rest of the crew nervous and worried about the future when they should be at their peak after a shore leave.

And since James didn't _like_ worrying...or people _being_ worried when they couldn't do anything about it, not until they've arrived at their destination anyway...he had resolved to do something about it.

And James knew _nothing_ blew off steam and eased tension like a good game.

So he had managed to weld a hoop into the far wall of the shuttle bay using a ladder stolen from Cortez, found his old basketball at the bottom of his footlocker, and then proceeded to recruit those responsible for the tension on the ship for some much needed R&R.

Javik had been...less than enthusiastic. In fact he had seemed more eager to throw James out the airlock for offering an invitation to a 'pointless exercise'...and considering James liked _breathing_ he had decided to drop it after his third attempt. _That guy needs to loosen up_. EDI would probably have been an _unfairly_ good player, but fortunately she had declined, instead preferring to stay in the cockpit and by all impressions make Joker uncomfortable._ Heh, maybe I should have invited him to the game instead_? _Though I guess the sound of breaking bones wouldn't be fun in the long run_...

With him being James' buddy, he had to invite Steve, and the shuttle pilot was pretty easy to cajole into playing once he had been teased about his skills for long enough. Of course, no matter how much he might try, Steve was a pretty poor player, _especially_ in basketball...but since he had gotten friendly with Samantha Traynor during the Normandy retro-fit, he came with a _deviously_ good player that had kept James on the back foot the entire game with her aggressive blocking. _Nothing wrong with that though, just because she's gay doesn't mean I can't enjoy her pushing into me at every opportunity_... James held back a chuckle.

The woman in question was running her arm over her forehead, taking a deep breath. "Okay, let's just sit down for a moment, pause for some water."

"What's the matter, Traynor, getting tired?" James smirked.

"Only of making you look like a fool." The officer smirked back as the group headed to the side of the room and a few boxes of equipment where their water bottles stood. Swiping up their drinks, the group sat down upon them. "And yes, you're in the lead, for the _first_ time in the match, remember, five points above ours or you don't win...and I don't see you managing that with _your_ play."

_This_ time, James chuckled, as did what he _guessed_ was his commanding officer...he wasn't entirely sure _how_ that worked now that Alenko and Shepard were both Spectres...

There had been a toss-up between Shepard and Alenko for who would be invited to the game, because there was no _way_ James would have them both in the game, they might _claim_ to be okay with one another by now, but James wasn't fooled. In the end, Shepard had won out, he had been the one who seemed the most worn down, and the one that needed some relief, not to mention he seemed to be a more _fun_ guy than Alenko, who'd probably turn down a chance to play with a few grunts anyway...probably with an excuse about his work, but still.

Shepard had turned out to be a good player though, with his height and aggressive moves towards the basket, he was a almost _frightening_ to try and hold back. He had joked something about how you 'did it in the hood'...and the idea of their great commander once living in such a place was both funny _and_ impressive given where he now was.

Of course, it had nearly not come to be. The man would probably have done what Alenko would have, excusing himself due to his work, if James hadn't been clever and first gone to _Vakarian_...and the Turian had cajoled Shepard into playing much in the same way James had done to Steve. And given the power of Traynor and Shepard on the other team, it was _good_ that James had recruited the Turian, for even though he'd never played the game before, he was, just as he was with a rifle, _great_ at long shots and had scored over half of their team's points.

With the only thing available to them being the standard-issue blue shorts and white tank-tops, the Turian looked a bit strange, the shorts not quite fitting his gangly hips and the shirt tight around his alien chest. Not that anyone cared, though it _was_ interesting to see a Turian without the usual armour or armour-like clothing. _So they're scaly_..._all_ _over_? _Man, if it wasn't rude I'd take a peek while we're both on the john_. _Dammit_..._ah well, extranet with a bucket of brain bleach, here I come_...

Of course, the clothes fit the _other_ alien just as well as any human, though the fact that the shorts were the _exact_ colour of her skin could at first glance be...distracting. Unfortunately for her, that was about all T'soni had going for her, since she was actually _worse_ than Steve at the game. _At least she seems to be having a good time by now_. She had been a bit grumpy about leaving work at first, but Shepard had not only convinced her to fill the vacant spot in the teams, but also gotten a few _smiles_ out of her with his and Vakarian's trash-talking. _Huh, maybe those vids were right, after __all_..._the human and Asari lovers with their bad cop Turian sidekick_..._heh_. James cocked his head to the side, looking at the ceiling as he thought it over. _Then again, I've never caught her going to Shepard's loft, she seems to use her own bed_..._huh_...

Interrupting his thoughts, the Asari looked at him. "What's on your mind, James?"

_Uh oh_...

Before he could answer though, Vakarian cut in. "Probably thinking about how much we're kicking your ass...mostly due to me, of course."

"Is that what you say to Doctor Michel? How much you kick ass?" Michael chuckled at the irritated look of the Turian. "Awww, come on, it's cute!"

After a moment of recovery, Vakarian replied with a raising of his chin. "You're just jealous of what a stud I am."

Michael laughed, and before he could reply, a smiling T'soni cut in. "It's true, actually, haven't you heard Michael?" She arched a brow in feigned surprise as she held Shepard's gaze. "It's all over the Terminus about how Archangel broke the one rule of Omega..." Vakarian guffawed...and then nearly dropped his bottle as the Asari shot him a smirk. "...and Aria _loving_ it."

Shaking his head, the Turian looked down at his outfit. "Wow, people make up the strangest of things, shame I don't feel very confident with the ladies dressed like this, spirits, what kept me from buying a few Turian clothes back on the Citadel...?"

"Calibrations...?" Shepard ventured, a smirk on his lips, drawing a chuckle out of T'soni.

"Yeah, what's _with_ you and the ship's gun?" James couldn't help but ask, crossing his arms over his chest. "You'd think it was your baby or something."

"It _is_ a bit much, yes." Even T'soni agreed, nodding as she looked at the Turian, eyes amused.

"Hey, with an increased technological level, the amount of stuff that can go wrong and needs correction increase." Steve suddenly chimed in in defence of Vakarian. "The current equipment we work on is highly advanced and needs constant maintenance or we'll suffer through degenerating performance that can be difficult correcting."

James and Shepard rolled their eyes in unison, making the former chuckle. Y_ou know, Shepard's a pretty decent guy_. James hadn't really gotten to know the Spectre back when he'd been the man's guard, but James now thought he had him figured out. They hadn't had much combat experience together, but James could already tell Shepard could well be the best soldier in the Alliance...and there was an ease with which he commanded that made it seem natural. There was also his relaxed stance on command while outside of command, his way of dealing with those below him...it was a breath of fresh air from the Alliance and its restrictive rules and regulations.

And there was also the fact that James had expected...something else out of working under the legendary Shepard. But instead of finding a grim and gritty humourless warrior, or a champion of humans and puppies alike, James had found a simple man. A man with mood-swings, good at his work and dedicated to his people and his cause. He got tired when he worked hard, he got angry by politics or someone was being a jackass, he got sad for others, he got worried for all he was working for...

_Just another guy_..._huh_.

"Yes." Traynor nodded in agreement, offering Vakarian an understanding nod. "Even with regular updates to an already sophisticated software, this degenerative effect can prove dangerous to the user unless he corrects errors between the software and hardware, not to mention that-"

"Don't waste your breaths." The Turian chuckled, holding up two clawed hands at the two humans. "You're talking to two grunts who can't even over-clock their own omni-tools and a woman whose hobby is to dig holes in the ground."

The three techs laughed at that as Michael rolled his eyes once more, James for one just happy Steve was laughing, the man had been too grim since the attack on Horizon...

"For your _information_..." T'soni retorted, voice rising an octave as she raised her chin. "...I have _machines_ doing the digging."

_Lame_... James smirked as the others exchanged glances telling him they thought the exact same thing. _She's not very good at this banter thing, is she_? Traynor was quick though, giving the Asari a sideways glance. "And can you _fix_ these machines if they break...?"

"Errr..."

"Didn't think so." Traynor looked smug...and _exceedingly_ pleased with the purple blush on T'soni's cheeks.

Chuckling, Shepard offered T'soni a pat on the back as he shook his head. "You guys are just trying to excuse yourselves from being such nerds you'd rather...oh, hello, Kaidan."

_Ohhhh_..._crap_. Getting to his feet and turning to face the new arrival, James offered a late salute, a salute the Lieutenant answered without a glance James' way, his gaze on Michael. If he found them playing without having invited him rude, Alenko didn't say it, nor did he even comment on their dishevelled appearance or the irregularity of an improvised basketball-hoop welded to the wall. His voice was polite, yet lacking any warmth, making James wonder if there'd be a fight even _before_ he had registered what the man was saying. "We have reached the Annos Basin, seems the Krogan and Salarians are already waiting for us near the Relay, they want to board the Normandy to carry the discussion on neutral ground."

"Well...that's _good_." Shepard replied, obviously confused by the difference between Alenko's words and his tone. "It's a big system after all, would take us hours to reach Sur'Kesh...this way we can get these talks over and done with."

"Not _too_ fast, I hope." Alenko snapped, hands moving behind his back as he straightened. "I heard about that Asari prisoner..." James shot Shepard a questioning look, finding the other man stiffening, an annoyed look crossing his features. "I'd appreciate it if there was no further incidents of such...diplomacy, in _particular_ on our ship."

Shepard leant back on the crate he'd been sitting on just a moment ago, crossing his arms over his chest and looking decidedly unimpressed. "_Our_ ship?"

James couldn't help but turn his gaze back to Alenko, no doubt the others felt just like him, like a spectator, unable to intervene as the cool but cordial relationship between the two Spectres once more splintered. The newer of the two Spectres wasn't apparently phased by Shepard's question, he too crossing his arms over his chest. "I would also appreciate that the deals made aren't ones making a mockery of all those people that died under Hegemony slavery..."

_Huh_?

"Ah, yes." Shepard shook his head. "I'm _sure_ the colonists being saved from capture or huskification by the Reapers will hang themselves the moment they know it was _Batarians_ saving them."

"Don't confuse the issue, this isn't about racism, this is about making deals with _terrorists_." Alenko hissed the words through clenched teeth, his hands dropping to his sides even as his hands curled into fists. _Wait_..._he_ _did_ _what_! James head turned round to stare at Shepard in shock. "For the _second_ time, I might add, and we both know how well _that_ went..."

"Ah yes, because Cerberus helping me save hundreds of thousands of colonists from being turned into a live Reaper was a _bad_ thing." Shepard snapped, not backing down. "You fear these terrorists will gain in strength after this war thanks to being allowed to join us, I _get_ it. I also don't _care_. I'm going to explain this exactly _one_ more time, so get it through your thick skull, If we lose this war, everyone in the _galaxy_ is dead, so you might hate such an alliance, heck, _I_ hate it, but if it gives us the strength to repel the Reapers, it _will_ be made."

"And if making these deals makes us _worse_ than the Reapers?" Alenko asked, narrowing his eyes.

"You're an idiot." Shepard snapped the insult, making everyone in the room tense as all eyes fell on the stiffly-standing Alenko. "When it comes to survival morals can't stop you, _especially_ when _billions_ of lives are at stake. Call me a monster for dealing with terrorists if you must, but know that this monster is what will keep us all _alive_."

"Well..." Alenko sighed, shaking his head at Shepard. "...I'm sorry you feel that way, but glad that one with these abominable morals will be present during this meeting, to represent our _humanity_, not just the Alliance."

Shepard opened his mouth to retort, but Alenko had already turned his back to the man, shoulders slumped in weary defeat as he walked away. Shooting him a glance, James found Shepard staring at Alenko's back, a confusing mix of frustration and hurt in his eyes.

Silence, the biotic reaching the elevator.

"_You're_ the one with the Alliance, not _I_!" Shepard shouted the words just in time for the doors of the elevator to slid shut. Sighing, the Spectre shook his head, eyes downcast and voice a low murmur. "They don't see it? Why doesn't anyone see it...?" Then T'soni put a comforting arm around him...and the man flinched, looking up in surprise, as if only now realising the others were there. "Errr...could we continue the game at another time, perhaps?"

"Sure." James shrugged, trying to sound casual. "I'll whoop your ass, but it'll be fun."

"Yeah...sure." An awkward chuckle escaped Shepard as he stepped away from the crates. "Guess I should get some proper clothing on and prepare to do the whole diplomacy thing...Garrus, Liara, you want to tag along? Might help..."

"Help keeping Wrex calm, you mean?" Vakarian quipped, getting to his feet. "I'm game, always wondered if I could pin that old lug."

"Don't worry, Garrus, I'll protect you when you fail." Shepard's words drew a small chuckle from the Turian.

"Could we perhaps use words? The Krogan way of head-butting people seems...tiresome." T'soni muttered, still eyeing the elevator where Alenko had left.

Watching the three walk off, James managed a small smile as he saw Shepard put an arm around the Asari's shoulders with a chuckle. "Really? I thought you were one eighth Krogan and would _love_ to do that..."

Vakarian chuckled as the Asari sent the man stumbling away with a biotic push and an amused shake of her head.

8

8

8

_Well_..._this ought to be fun_.

Though dressed in an officer's uniform, Michael remembered his most recent argument with Kaidan all too well and had as such removed all insignias and shows of ranks on it as he moved towards the conference room. With the guests already shown aboard, he would be the last to arrive, but Michael had faith that Kaidan would keep the situation civil until he arrived. _Plus if I let him have a taste of my headache he might shut up for a while_...

Behind him and to his right, Liara walked, h white civilian dress of hers still subtly armoured and sporting a pistol hidden under her coat._ That's my Shadow Broker, always paranoid_...

And to his left, Garrus walked, the Turian being dressed in his blue and grey armour, he too with a pistol strapped to his side. _Huh, a heavy Paladin, why am I not surprised_...?

Of course, Michael was glad that the two were there with weapons for some sort of situation, but he doubted it would be needed. The Dalatrass was just a civilian Salarian, and Wrex was perhaps a powerful Krogan, but also a calm and collected person, and it would take _much_ for him to lose his temper. Yet to get him to help the Turians, hell, the _Council_, when the Genophage was such a sore spot for Wrex...it was a tall order.

Garrus was walking stiffly, knowing just as well as Michael, if not more so, what was on the line.

Michael felt as if he should say something to him, reassure his friend about their chances. But the bitterness of his argument with Kaidan was still fresh, making Michael scowl and his mouth turn into a thin line as he marched through the security scanner, angrily waving off the marines there as it reacted to the weapons on his two companions.

Entering the conference room, Michael found the glass door with the table in the middle occupied yet quiet.

Kaidan was standing at the far side, leaning against the edge of the window, arms crossed over his chest and watching the assembled leaders with a worried frown.

Walking into the conference room, the two behind him closing the door, Michael looked to his right. "Dalatrass Linron." The Salarian offered him the shortest of nods possible, telling him she still remembered the time he'd mistaken her for a man. _Right, __that__, dammit, couldn't they have voted someone else into office since that stupid diplomatic dinner_...

"General Victus." The Turian, having hitched a ride with them, looked surprisingly calm given what was at stake, his hands behind his back, chin held high. At the mention of his name, the Turian offered a polite nod, but like the Dalatrass, he didn't say anything.

There was a tension in the room...and Michael turned to the one responsible for it.

"Wrex."

"Shepard." The Krogan shot him a, what Michael assumed to be, friendly look. "Like what you've done with the ship, it's...roomier."

"Anything to make enough room for you." The Krogan grunted at Michael's quip. "We haven't picked the curtains yet though, figured we could use your input."

"I thought that was what the _Asari_ was for." Wrex gestured at the woman in question with a small grin. "Good to see you again, Liara, Shepard could use someone _tough_ on his team now that I'm gone."

"Agreed." Liara shook her head with a smile. "It's too much of a pain resurrecting him again, so I've decided to keep an eye on him in person."

"You can't trust anyone but yourself to get the job done, I can relate to that." Wrex nodded, now clearly grinning.

Clearing his throat, Garrus took a step forward. "I think you two are forgetting about me..."

"Garrus, you're _hardly_ the tough one here." Liara argued with a cock of her head and an almost playful smile on her lips. "That's why you're the one with the sniper rifle while I am the one running forward."

Wrex guffawed even as Garrus stared at the Asari. "Ha! She's got you there, Garrus! Always knew you had a quad on you, Liara..."

"That's a..._horrible_ mental image, Wrex." Michael chuckled. "Glad to see you in one piece though, I half expected some upstart Krogan warlord to have tried assassinating you by now."

"They have, _five_ times." Wrex shrugged. "It's nothing, Krogan assassins aren't exactly subtle any way, so all I got out of it was another scar..." He gestured at his neck and a new jagged line running along its left side.

"Heh, only you can make assassination attempts sound as if it's barely an annoyance." Michael grinned. "Have you-"

"If the supposedly _neutral_ party is done being friendly with the Krogan, perhaps we could get started?" Linron cut in, arms over her wiry chest, looking unamused as she leant back. "Though I hardly know what I'm here to talk about..."

"You are here by Wrex's request." Victus answered, drawing an annoyed grunt from the Krogan, clearly not agreeing about the 'request' part._ At least he's not starting an argument yet_... "Palaven is on fire, yet Earth needs Turian aid. As such, we're here to talk with the Krogan leadership about sending us infantry support."

"Leadership? All I see is another Krogan warlord out for power and war." Linron growled, eyes narrow as she glared at the Krogan across the table.

"_Wrong_." Wrex put his hands on the table, the wood creaking under his weight as he leant on to it. "You're looking at _the_ warlord of Tuchanka, I have practically all the clans united under my banner, and if you want help from the Krogan, you have to talk to _me_." He paused, a slight twitch in the corner of his mouth. "And speak to me with the proper _respect_ a leader of a people is entitled to."

"See? Nothing but boasting and demands." Linron shook her head and looked away, huffing.

"He's nothing but _correct_." Michael snapped, making the Salarian shoot him an unamused look. "You rightly expect a certain behaviour towards yourself due to being the Dalatrass of the Salarians, Victus rightly expects a certain behaviour towards him due to being the Primarch. Wrex has the _same_ right as you to be spoken to in a polite and respectful manner." _God, shoot me now_..._I hate diplomacy_. _Where else do you need to talk about how to talk to people before you can actually __start__ talking to them_? _Maybe kindergarten_... "Now, could we please focus on the task at hand?"

"You mean the task of getting _Turian_ aid for Earth, which rely on the _Krogan_ helping the _Turians_, yes?" The Dalatrass shrugged. "I fail to see how that affects the _Salarians_."

"It affects them because I _say_ it does." Wrex growled, making Michael sigh as his right hand came up to rub his temple. _Wrex, I __just__ argued against her idea of you just making boasts and demands_... "You think I'm just going to go along with helping the _Turians_ of all people? The people who unleashed _your_ genophage? No, that's not going to happen..." _Oh_ _for_..._Wrex_! Michael glared at the Krogan, but it went ignored as Wrex eyed the Dalatrass as a lion would a antelope. "Don't think me a fool, I _know_ you Salarians need the Turians...you are more desperate than you let on, why else allow the discussion to take place so close to Sur'Kesh?"

To her credit, Linron didn't flinch at the words, coldly regarding the three times larger creature at the other side of the table. "I allowed it to get this over and done with. I have other duties than talking to some brute thinking himself in a position of making demands."

"Is that so? I'm in no position to make demands?" Wrex smirked. "Well in that case, I'll just be off..." He moved towards the door...and grinned as Linron visibly struggled to stand firm while Victus reached out before he could control himself. "No? Didn't think so..." Two plodding steps, and Wrex was back at his side of the table. "You think me a brute, but I _know_ how the war is currently faring. I _know_ how desperate you are, I know the Turians are cornered while you Salarians fear what will happen the moment the Reapers turn to you. I know you _need_ the Krogan." He grinned. "But this time we'll only help you on _our_ terms. We're _not_ to be used and then discarded as with the Rachni. History won't repeat itself today."

Michael shook his head, growling out his frustration at the Krogan doing the same thing Victus had done. "Wrex, if the Reapers win all advanced life in the galaxy, _including_ the Krogan, will be wiped out. I _hardly_ think this is the time to be a mercenary about it and-"

"No, Shepard, this is the _only_ time to be making demands." Wrex cut in, making the human frown at the claw waved in his face, a claw moving back to point at Linron and Victus. "You were happy to forget about the Krogan once we were sterilized and left to rot on Tuchanka, our reward for saving you from the Rachni, we will not be forgotten this time, we will not _allow_ it."

"Again, speaking like a bully." Linron snorted.

"I could phrase it in fancy words like you people do, but the message would be the same." Wrex snapped back, not phased for even a moment.

"Wrex..."

"No, Shepard, _no_." The Krogan violently shook his head at Michael's annoyed frown. Of all the people, Michael had hoped Wrex would be a leader that was easy to deal with, his friend _knew_ the stakes, after all...yet apparently he was about to be proven wrong. "If the Turians are supposed to get something out of helping you, so will the _Krogan_, we will not help the people who has doomed us to a slow death just because _you_ say so."

"The galaxy-"

"The galaxy will go on whether we lose or not anyway, Shepard. I'm here to look out for my own people's interest." Wrex cocked his head to the side, shooting Michael a glare. "Or is it noble to do all you can to save _humanity_ while the noble thing for the _Krogan_ to do is to sacrifice themselves?"

_I'm not here to save bloody humanity_!_ I'm here to end the Reapers and save the galaxy_! Michael clenched his teeth, knowing voicing his thoughts would do no good. _They're all stuck thinking about their own problems, about their own people_..._fools_..._dammit_, _Wrex_! Behind him, he felt Garrus and Liara inch closer, but it was of little comfort, he felt...alone. _Why can't anybody get it_...?

Victus was nodding though. "It's only fair, I suppose, but you have yet to tell us what you _want_."

"What any Krogan wants, of course." Wrex glowered at the Turian. "You think of us as brutal beasts of war. Yet the moment you were in trouble you had no qualms about 'unleashing' us upon the Rachni, and yet when we're done saving the galaxy, we become a nuisance...I think a Salarian paper wrote it best, a 'dangerous mistake'." The Krogan growled, eyes moving over to Linron. "You think because the way we are, we aren't truly sentient, don't you? You thought of us as nothing but animals, to be put down at your leisure. But we Krogan bleed like any other, if _any_ of you had been with us on the Rachni worlds you would have seen it in _rivers_...but you never did, you never saw the mounds of bodies, the _incredible_ sacrifices the Krogan made for _you_." He shot a claw the Salarian's way.

"And then you turned on us! Trying to destroy us!" Linron snapped back, hissing the words.

"And why not?" Wrex glowered back. "You used us, then you refuse to let us expand, wanting us to all live on Tuchanka so we can kill one another with the technology _you_ gave us. You didn't take responsibility for 'uplifting' us, you _discarded_ us."

"The genophage merely _alters_ the birth-rate to-"

"The genophage is **killing** my people!" Wrex's roar silenced the Salarian, his fists making dents in the table as he smashed them down on it, eyes hard as he continued in a throaty voice. "Again, you never saw it. You never saw the piles of dead newborns, the female Krogans wandering out in the desert to die, the battles over the few fertile ones, the way the _agony_ of our fate drives us away from our clans to fight as mercenaries, to simply forget about what will soon happen to our people." A snort, and Wrex lowered his head. _Wait_..._is he crying_...? The Krogan looked back up in a huff, proving Michael's suspicion false, though his eyes were hard, as if struggling not to recognise his grief. "Yes, we were not made completely sterile, but what use is that when you extinguished all hope for a better tomorrow? You might call how we Krogan reacted to the genophage as suicide, a victimless crime, I call it _genocide_."

Silence.

Then Victus sighed, the Turian rubbing his forehead. "Yes, we are aware of our history and how we all view it, but save these emotional speeches for the Asari, _I_ don't have time for it, just tell me what you _want_."

"Easy." Wrex smile was wicked as he leant down on the creaking table, the smile reminding Michael of a shark about to enjoy its meal, as it turned to the Dalatrass. "I want a _cure_."

"What!" The Salarian gasped, as did most of the people in the room, aware of what a gigantic demand that was. "Out of the question! It's not on the table!"

"A cure for an army, that's the only deal you'll get." Wrex leant back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Take it or leave it, but if it's the later, I'll enjoy watching you burn..."

"Wrex, for goodness sake!" Michael shook his head, taking a step closer to the Krogan as he felt the situation slip out of his hands. "There's no way the Salarians will agree to that! You can't just-!" The Krogan held up a hand to silence him. "We have to look to what's at stake here, you can't-!" Again, the Krogan held up his hand. "Don't _do_ this!"

"I sympathize with the Krogan, but we don't have _time_ for a cure!" Victus snapped, shaking his head at the Krogan. "There _has_ to be something else!"

"No, I will _not_ compromise on my demand." Wrex snapped at Victus, then a smirk appeared on his lips as he moved his gaze to Linron. "Besides, I think there _is_ time for a cure...isn't there, Dalatrass?"

Silence.

All eyes turning to the Salarian, her lips a thin line. Victus being the first to speak. "Linron...?"

"He's just being a mad Krogan, making accusations with no proof what so ever." Linron shook her head. "This discussion is over."

"Is that so?" Wrex voice was smug. "So I guess you _don't_ have a base on Sur'Kesh where the data by a Salarian by the name of Maelon is being studied by a Mordin Solus?" For the first time since they had started the talks, Linron flinched. "I suppose you _don't_ have him studying it for a just-in-case project called 'last arrow'? A project that now, nearly complete, is being called into question whether it's 'wise' to _risk_ liberating the Krogan...for apparently the arrival of the Reapers has made the leadership of the Salarians jittery and take notice of such..._controversial_ studies." Wrex grinned. "Can't have us repeat the Rachni 'mistake', can we? Even if it means the Reapers destroy us all."

Michael's eyes bulged. _Mordin_?_My__ Mordin_? _The Mordin so ardently defending the genophage_? _Trying to __cure__ the genophage_? _I_..._he always did seem __too__ convinced of his work being good, but this_..._my_ _Mordin_! Slowly, he turned his head to see the Dalatrass' reaction.

Linron just stood there, staring at the Krogan, taken completely off guard and not even reacting when Wrex chuckled at her dumbstruck expression.

"Is this _true_, Dalatrass?" Victus asked, a sharpness in his tone. "You have a nearly complete cure, ready to give to the Krogan."

"That is..." With a clear effort of will, Linron recovered. "...out of the question! I will _not_ allow this Krogan to dictate what we do and don't do with our research! The gains of this project was only to be used at the utmost of needs!"

"Which is _now_!" Michael growled, hands on the desk as he glared at the Salarian. "You might not have felt it yet, but you know that the Reapers will _crush_ you the moment they turn their attention to you."

"If _we_ don't beat them to it." Victus snarled, looking at the Dalatrass with hard eyes. "Dalatrass, I will make things clear. If my people die because of _your_ inaction, the last thing Sur'kesh will see is the Turian fleet's orbital bombardment."

Michael found himself gripping tight at the table. In essence, he agreed with Victus, if the Dalatrass didn't cooperate they were _all_ dead, she had to help...but on the other hand the way Victus voiced his threat made his priorities abundantly clear. _Always about our people, our needs, our problems, never about the galaxy as a whole_... "Exactly, and the Alliance won't abide you sabotaging our war-efforts either, leaving you with the Asari to help you...who, I might add, have been very _reluctant_ in helping their allies as of late." Michael glared at the Salarian for added effect, but she was in return of her senses, and wasn't phased.

"Please, don't bother with empty threats." Linron snorted. "Your Alliance is busy fighting for its life in your colonies and the Turians are battling for Palaven, neither has the strength to face us Salarians who haven't even been _touched_ by the war yet."

"_Yet_." The word came from an unexpected direction, making all eyes move to Kaidan, still leaning against the window as he calmly eyed Linron in exclusion of all else. "Dalatrass, you Salarians are _known_ for your intelligence networking, you _know_ you cannot face the Reapers on your own, nor with the help of only the Asari. You know of the Crucible, and as more and more information about the Reapers reaches you, you know better and better how little chance we have against them with just our fleets. You know that if you sabotage our war-efforts by not agreeing to the Krogans' demands, you will not only doom _our_ chances of success, but your _own_." He paused, letting the words sink in. "You are trying to change the deal, because you dislike the price you'd have to pay, but Wrex isn't known for changes of heart. You might have succeeded if he hadn't known about Mordin Solus' work, but he does, and as such will settle for nothing else. I'd advice you to accept that you've been outmanoeuvred and salvage what you can."

Silence.

Then Linron sighed, shoulders slumping as she stared down at her feet. "I...very well...I'll...make the call."

_Yes_! Michael turned his head to offer Kaidan a grin, only for it to turn into a friendly nod at the sight of the biotics cool eyes, the even cooler nod unfriendly but respectful. _Guess that's all I can ask for_... "Good. Joker, set course for Sur'Kesh, immediately."

Joker instantly replied via the radio. "On it, Commander." Michael barely noticed Kaidan frowning at the incorrect rank as he wondered if EDI had allowed the man to listen in on the discussion. "ETA forty hours...stupidly large system, if you ask me."

Linron frowned, tone hard. "Nobody _did_."

"Right...my bad."

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson, for being the Ben to my Luke._


	17. Chapter 17

"Well..._this_ ought to be interesting."

Michael wasn't angry, just annoyed...but he felt himself get closer and closer to that point where annoyance turned into anger. First of all there had been the journey to Sur'Kesh, and though forty hours wasn't too bad, especially _if_ you had time to catch up with Wrex, it had still been frustrating when Michael had gotten stuck running through paperwork with Linron nearly the entire journey. For apparently releasing a Salarian scientist and his work into Spectre hands required _three_ piles of papers signed in _triplicate_...and he was only allowed to sign _one_ version with his omni-tool. So having a friendly chat with Wrex, perhaps calm him down a bit, had been out of the question.

Then, when everything was finally signed and _done_ with, Linron had made a show of leaving the Normandy for a frigate of her own, to 'preserve her political position' if the release of Mordin became publicly known...making Michael roll his eyes and mutter curses about politicians. Then, after that annoying delay, not that Michael didn't approve of getting away from Linron, there had been further delay when Sur'Kesh's ground-control had somehow missed that the Normandy would arrive and held them up for two _more_ hours before the paper-work actually arrived.

So finally Michael had been allowed to land with a shuttle, all the time futilely trying to calm Wrex growling about the Salarians trying to stall them...only to end up with another argument with Kaidan that had _further_ delayed them.

_'I do not wish a repeat of your kind of diplomacy.' Hmpf_... Michael grumbled at the memory of Kaidan's words, the biotic might have a point about Michael's diplomatic abilities, but this was _his_ war, _his_ deals, and it was his _responsibility_ to make sure things went smoothly. Still, he had finally convinced Kaidan to stay aboard the ship with James, EDI and Javik, forming a secondary team if it become necessary. Michael doubted the Salarians would try to do something like the warden of Purgatory and capture him and Wrex in order to stop the curing of the genophage, but one could never be too careful...and _that_ Kaidan could at least understand.

With the second team formed, Michael had ended up with himself, Liara and Garrus to escort Wrex.

It had been a conscious decision, the team was small enough not to antagonize the Salarian operatives...any more than a fully armoured Krogan warlord on their soil already did, that is...but it _also_ had a representative of each council race in except for the Salarians...a silent message of _who_ was putting pressure on the Salarians to aid the Krogan with them. _Of course, that's not exactly true with the Asari and all_..._but I doubt they'll have time to think about that given the situation_.

"Interesting is _not_ the word I'd use." Wrex grunted, claws drumming on his hip in a fast pace, he had a relaxed stance, but the tension in his eyes was obvious, as was the impatience radiating from him. "I don't like this, Shepard, the Salarians aren't exactly known for being _slow_."

"Wrex, the Salarians have no _choice_ but to cooperate, don't worry so much." Michael replied, gaze moving across the surroundings.

Sur'Kesh was beautiful, reminding him of the pictures he'd seen of Earth's Amazon jungles. _Huh, never did see it in real life, guess it's gone now_..._come to think of it, besides the Presidium and Illium, I've mostly lived my life on battlefields and on cold ships and space stations...never anywhere beautiful_... Michael almost smiled, gazing out over the view of a tropical forest just outside the terraced base of the Salarians that despite being a military facility, had its own beauty to it. _Better sup it up while I can_..._might be the last time Sur'Kesh looks like this_...

Of course, the view was spoiled by the approaching delegation of Salarians ahead. The landing platform of the base was surprisingly large, meant to transport larger items no doubt. There were at least a dozen Salarians in greyish armour there, spread around the platform they were keeping their eyes on the group that had just landed, but also outwards, apparently the STG was always ready for trouble.

The group approaching them were not only soldiers though, four were quite obviously guards, rifles held close to their chests, but the fifth was, while armoured, unarmed, his hands behind his back as he came to a stop before the group. "Spectre Shepard, Padok Wiks of the STG, it's an honour." His right hand came forth.

_Huh, finally someone not being bothersome_. Michael took the hand and gave it a firm shake. "Thank you, now, as you understand Wrex here is a bit anxious to see Mordin Solus, so if you could just-"

"Yes, about that..." The sixth Salarian of the group, one dressed in a civilian outfit, suddenly spoke up, his greyish skin marked by wrinkles. "...I'm Dalatrass Linron's secretary, and as you know there was a bit of a mix-up with the paperwork back at ground-control. They have yet to get their copy to be sent here for verification. So if you wish we could either wait for it to arrive or we could sit down with this unsigned stack I have right here..." The Salarian patted a bulging briefcase in his right hand.

_You got to be_... Michael's hand moved up to rub his temple, only to stop as Wrex stepped forth, shooting an angry claw into the chest of the secretary and making him stumble back with a pained grunt. If Wrex noticed every Salarian on the landing pad suddenly aiming their weapons at him, he didn't show it. "_No_, no more of your papers and delays, I want my cure, and I want it now. So you better bring out this Mordin fellow before I repaint this base with the blood of every Salarian in it."

"Wrex..." Michael muttered the warning, hand coming down to grab the Krogan's arm to calm him even as he looked to the Salarian. "...is right, get us what we want and we'll be off, you'll get those papers later anyway."

The Salarian's head pulled back, lips pursing in a frown. "That's _highly_ irregular, we can't have-"

"No, these delays are _unacceptable_." Padok Wiks suddenly cut in, frowning at the secretary. "If anyone of _my_ men had been responsible for it I would have had him cleaning every toilet on _Sur'Kesh_ by now." _Heh_. "We have a war to prepare for and the longer we're stuck here, the less we'll get done today, so I _suggest_ you allow Shepard and his friends entrance, _now_." It didn't sound like a suggestion, and the other Salarian visibly baulked at the words, apparently Wiks wasn't known for being just hot air...

"Very well..." The secretary sighed and stepped aside. "...I'll see what I can do, but do know that breaking the rules like this will _not_ make the Dalatrass happy."

"I don't think I could make her any more unhappy anyway..." Michael replied with a chuckle, turning to Wiks as the four guards at his back dispersed. "Well then...lead on."

"Yes, come with me." Wiks gestured at them to follow as he headed towards an elevator at the other end of the landing pad. "I apologise for that, the administration has been remarkably slow the last fifty hours, we only just found out about your arrival, Mordin is still packing, in fact." _Will be good to see him again_..._though hope he doesn't talk my ear off_.

"You'd think they'd put more priority on such an important task." Liara spoke up.

"As long as I get what I want, I don't care." Wrex growled, clearly not in the brightest of moods.

Wiks glanced back at the armoured Krogan, then down at the Claymore shotgun on his back, a curious look on his face. "It's exactly that kind of attitude that makes many of my fellow operatives hesitant about curing the genophage..."

Wrex shrugged with an annoyed grunt. "We Krogan prefer to be judged by our actions, rather than our words. I have created new crops on Tuchanka, rebuilt houses and made peace with _fifty_ clans during this last year, you might think I sound like a violent beast, but I'm a peacemaker."

"True, I didn't say _I_ thought that." Wiks nodded. "Though it's _forty-eight_ clans, annihilating a clan doesn't count as making peace."

"Heh, can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs..." The Krogan rumbled with a grin. "But the fact remains that Tuchanka knows more peace now than it has for thousands of years, you Salarians worry that we're not ready to be cured, I say we are."

_Annihilated__ two clans_? Michael stared at Wrex for a moment, then shook his head._ I suppose it was for the greater good, a unified Krogan people is worth the price_. Then he looked over at Wiks. "Wait, how did you know that?"

"They're spying on us, of course." Wrex grunted, apparently not finding it the least upsetting. _Or maybe he's just used to it_...

Wiks shrugged. "Scheduled recognisances, observations of the current political climate and fertility of Krogan females, nothing too invasive. The Turians might be the ones in charge of guarding the DMZ, but we prefer to do some intelligence gathering on our own, just in case." Reaching the elevator, Wiks game to a stop, a frown creasing his brow as he turned and glanced over Michael's shoulder. "I should make sure Linron's secretary doesn't make any trouble, smooth things over."

"I'm _not_ having any more _delays_." Wrex growled, the Krogan stepping forth and glaring down at the Salarian.

Who simply shrugged, unimpressed. "I didn't say anything about delays, you proceed down to the bottom floor if you wish to see Mordin, he should be nearly done with his packing, then you can come back up here and I'll personally see you off, it's that simple."

"Thanks, simple sounds _very_ good. Take care." Michael grunted as he moved into the elevator, the others following him...and the door instantly slamming shut behind them before humming as it began to bring them down.

Silence.

Then Michael glanced over at Wrex, the Krogan glaring at the closed door, as if it had personally offended him. "So...this is going well, huh?"

"I don't like this, Shepard." The Krogan didn't look at him as he spoke, eyes on the door. "Something smells...off."

"Maybe, but as Michael said, the Salarians have little option but to comply here." Garrus suddenly spoke up, the Turian having been very quiet so far. _Of course, with his people being those sterilizing Wrex's and relying on this to save their home world, maybe it's wise to keep quiet_... "Trust me, back in C-Sec, the administration being slow like this equalled them being grouchy about something I'd done, this is probably no different."

"I suppose..." Wrex grumbled, then smiled as he glanced back at the Turian. "And what did you do to make them so grouchy back then?"

"Well...car chases across the Presidium are...frowned upon, especially when the officer chasing the criminal fires his weapon." Garrus replied with a nostalgic chuckle.

"You _did_ hit a secretary with one of those shots." Liara replied, making the Turian stare at her with an arched brow. "Shadow Broker, remember?"

"Bah, it barely winged him, he was exaggerating." The Turian grunted, looking annoyed, much to the others amusement.

Then the door opened, revealing a semi-dark room, the many holographic displays covering the walls and desks lining the room responsible for most of the light, casting an orange hue over the walls. To Michael it resembled a bunker or some sort of war-room, rather than a lab, a far cry from the beautiful terraced vistas above. Though it did not look like a lab, there _was_ lab-equipment set in orderly rows along tables placed in lines across the room...though by now most of it was being pushed into boxes by a dozen Salarians in white lab-coats, these ones looking even wirier than their kind usually did, as if they did nothing but work on their science in their underground bunker without seeing neither exercise nor sunlight. _Maybe that's actually the case, the Salarians are odd like that_...

Yet one of them was larger than the others, more healthy-looking, despite his age...and the tone, though darker and rougher than before, was unmistakable. "No-no, pack centrifuge first, _then_ microscope, ship has little space, need to have easy access to prioritized equipment even when in boxes." Mordin stood at the centre of the room, dressed in his usual armoured lab-gear and, much to Michael's surprise, was using a _cane_, a cane he now waved at another of the Salarians in a lab-coat. "Homogenizer fragile! Don't toss!"

"Is it just me or has Mordin gotten...grouchier with age?" Michael shot Garrus a glance at the Turian's words, finding his friend with his head cocked to the side. "And a cane? I'm glad Joker isn't here, he'd start joking about Mordin having stolen my stick..."

"Is something wrong with him? Has he forgotten to eat his pills?" Wrex grunted, drawing a chuckle out of Michael and Garrus. Cocking his head to the side, Wrex ignored them as he frowned, looking confused. "Or...eaten too many of them?"

Stepping out of the elevator and walking forward, Michael found himself smiling, Mordin was a good face to see, one of his companions, maybe not the closest one he had, but _family_. "Mordin! It's good to see you!"

The Salarian turned at the sound of his name, dark eyes large. "Shepard, you're here? Didn't hear it would be you, good though, safe on Normandy, can work in quiet, EDI will prove useful as well."

Michael chuckled, crossing the final distance and offering his hand, a hand Mordin instantly took. "It's good to see you too."

"Apologies, didn't mean to be rude, have lots to think about, work to do..." The Salarian frowned, eyeing one of his assistants packing...Michael wasn't exactly sure _what_ it was. "...uncomfortable working with assistants, but not as fast as I used to be, need younger hands..." A deep sniff. "...frustrating."

"Wow, it's only been a few months since last we met, you know..." Michael muttered, somewhat concerned at the thought of Mordin needing help.

"Salarians have short life-span, already older than average Salarian becomes when we tackled the Collectors, age...catching up with me." Mordin shrugged. "Knew it would happen, can't slow down though, work needs to be done before death, can't have someone with less expertise try to finish my work, would be unprofessional."

"Yeah..." Michael eyed the room and all the equipment being packed, rubbing the back of his neck. "...we've retrofitted the Normandy, so we don't have a lab any more, but we _do_ have the medical bay...you sure you need all this stuff?" Looking over Mordin's shoulder, Michael saw the assistants slowing down, listening in, hopeful of not having to carry any more equipment.

"Could improvise, I suppose, would be negligent though, can't be too careful, the existence of a species in my hands." Behind the doctor, the hopeful assistants deflated and resumed their work. Mordin's eyes moved over to Wrex, and much to Michael's surprise, he smiled. "Urdnot Wrex, glad to see you in person, have good hopes for Krogan, for you. Admirable behaviour by Krogan standards, could change culture across species, will help ease tension following cure." The Salarian offered his hand.

"Wait, you know one another...?" Michael arched an eyebrow and looked over to Wrex who had now crossed his arms over his chest, making Mordin slowly lower his hand. "Mordin...was the one telling you about this project, wasn't he?"

"Yeah." Wrex grunted, eyes not leaving Mordin, looking suspicious as well as a bit irritated. "Still don't know his angle though...and thanks for the ..._compliment_, Salarian."

Michael turned his head to Mordin, the question on his lips never escaping them as the Salarian was quicker. "Wonder why I develop cure? Easy, extenuating circumstances, imminent Reaper attack forcing our hand, can't leave Krogan weak when facing them, have to use everything at our disposal."

_Finally someone who gets it_. Michael smiled and nodded, only for Wrex to growl in anger. "Always the schemers, you Salarians, even you who want to help us just do it for your own reasons, we're _not_ a Varren to be released upon your enemies."

"Of course not." Mordin snorted. "Dalatrass wanted funding cut, I persevered, I contacted you to keep it going, my project, my doing, do not expect gratitude, but do not deserve hostility."

_Errr_..._you __did__ aid in continuing the genophage_... Michael didn't dare say it as he eyed the Salarian with a confused look on his face, then shot Wrex a glance, unsure how much he dared say. "You know, given the thing with Maelon and our previous talks..." Wrex eyed him carefully, no doubt aware Michael was avoiding speaking about something that might offend him outright, but the Krogan none the less stayed silent. "...I'm _still_ a bit surprised to find _you_ working on this."

"Ah." Mordin paused for but a moment. "Was simply best man for the job, nothing else, emotional issues done with, Shepard, I've told you how Salarians function, now being professional with work, doing what I must."

"_Right_..." Garrus said, the doubts Michael felt about Mordin's words echoing in the Turian's voice. "...and that's _it_? I mean you _did_ defy your own boss' orders and leaked information to the Krogan...doesn't sound very professional to me." The Turian arched his brow, looking quietly amused. "No...thoughts on the matter? No..._motivations_ behind this sudden decision?"

A deep breath...and Mordin shrugged. "Getting old, no time for such analyses, not going to argue." Michael and Garrus exchanged an amused look, causing Mordin to sniff in annoyance. "You want my help, or not?"

"Oh we _definitely_ want your help, Salarian." Wrex grunted, shouldering himself past Michael and looking down at Mordin with hard red eyes. "Until the genophage is cured, you're now under _my_ protection, I'd _die_ before letting you come to harm." The words were calmly, almost gruffly, spoken, but still made everyone in the room take note.

The Krogan meant every word.

_Huh_... Michael eyed Wrex, curious. He _did_ sympathize with the Krogan and his people...but to be honest he'd never given the genophage too much thought, he considered it to be wrong, but there had always been bigger battles for him to wage, it hadn't been something he overly cared about. For even though Wrex was a friend, the Krogan was so gruff and calm, not to mention _tough_, that it was hard to actually think he _needed_ any sympathy...

Yet there they were, Wrex ready to give his life for a Salarian, simply for the _hope_ that it would save his people.

_Hope_... Michael remembered the message on the old Beacon on Virmire, of that kindle of promise for a better tomorrow that no words of Sovereign's had managed to tear down.

He caught himself smiling at the Krogan.

"Thank you. Would prefer living after the genophage is cured as well, if possible." Mordin replied, not phased like the others.

Before him, the Krogan chuckled. "I'll see what I can do...now why don't we leave this cellar and-"

Then the ground suddenly shook.

One of the Salarian assistants screamed, the others ducking in fright as Michael and his companions looked around themselves in confusion, confusion turning into worry as blazing red lights filled the room along with a low siren calling from somewhere else in the building.

Turning a questioning look to Mordin, Michael found the Salarian moving a hand up to the side of his head. "Mordin Solus, status report." A pause. "Mordin Solus, status report." The Salarian frowned, lowering his hand. "Internal communications down, implications unpleasant."

"Weapons ready." Michael growled, freeing his Revenant with practised ease as the others drew their weapons as well. Turning around, Michael found a curse escaping him at the sight of the elevator, its holographic interface a dizzying array of symbols haphazardly strewn across the screen, obviously rendered inoperable. _Great, walking up it is, but first_... "EDI, sitrep." Nothing answered him via the radio. "EDI?"

A crackle, then a screeching sound...making Michael grimace in pain...and finally a clear signal came through. "Apologies Shepard, had to bypass a jamming signal. I'm still collecting data, hold please..." It took half a second, and then she continued. "All communications across Sur'Kesh are down, military and civilian alike. I cannot repair the damage from my current position, nor alert any on Sur'Kesh about the situation...and doubt that there would be time for that."

"Why?" Michael frowned, glancing over to Garrus and Wrex, the two veteran leaders also sensing what the answer would be.

"Because hostiles have _already_ breached the facility."_ Oh for_..._knew_ _it_. As one, the group pushed the safeties off their weapons and one of the assistants whimpered as he crouched under a table as the base rocked with what had to be an explosion. Even Mordin, leaning on his cane, pulled free a Phalanx pistol from under his armoured coat. "We detected a large frigate momentarily exit stealth two minutes ago; at the same time all communications were jammed. Thirty seconds ago three shuttles exited stealth near the facility you're in, small arms fire followed."

"Exited stealth...?" Michael asked, a sinking feeling in his gut.

"The technology was seemingly based on the Normandy's design, but the Alliance has few such vessels available due to budget cuts." _Don't remind me of that old headache_... "Nor does the Alliance have reason to attack, or the capability to knock out communications across Sur'Kesh. We only got a brief glimpse of the shuttles, but given what my sensors picked up, the attack and technology used for it based on the Normandy, the likelihood of the attackers being Cerberus is seventy-six point four percent."

_Those_..._bastards_...

"Cerberus an enemy?" Mordin asked, looking momentarily confused. "Alliances shift, apparent, rule of galaxy. However, mutual threat of annihilation should foster cooperation, surprising move by Cerberus, why would they do this?"

"There was a...difference in opinion about how to tackle the Reapers." Liara muttered, looking over at Michael's grim expression. "A _severe_ one."

"I'm more worried about what they want." Garrus drawled, checking the sight to his Black Widow as if he had all the time in the world. "Don't suppose they just want to have a friendly chat with the STG about security protocols?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Wrex growled, hefting his Claymore shotgun as if it was a pistol. "They want to kill me, and Mordin too, that way there's no cure and no unified Krogan, for we can't have that, eh, human supremacists?" He glared at the ceiling, teeth bared in a feral snarl. "I'm going to enjoy this..._no_ _one_ stops this cure!"

"How?" Michael uttered the question with low growl, making the others turn to him with arched brows. "_How_ did they do this? We were already in the system, Sur'Kesh's communications are guarded by a people _famed_ for their intelligence services..."

"Surprising, yes, possible moles? Cerberus might be pro-human, but credits speak all languages." Mordin sniffed. "Unlikely, too expensive, too many variables for planet-wide shut-down, impressive, too little data to extrapolate."

Michael glared at Mordin, then the covering assistants, then the ceiling. "I think _not_." _Later, not now_. A huff. "All right, Mordin's assistants! You stay put, wait for help!" Michael didn't bother to see if they understood his order as he turned back to the more important things. "Mordin, what's the fastest route to the landing pad? Take us there. Wrex, Garrus, Liara, we're going to mow down anything that tries to stop us, we keep moving and try to link up with any larger groups of Salarians. Cerberus might have struck the first blow, but I doubt they could have prepared a large strike force." Moving after an already walking Mordin...the Salarian might be old, but he wasn't sluggish...Michael turned to the helmet radio. "EDI, has Kaidan been debriefed of the situation?"

"He has, he's currently doing final checks for the two shuttles and is discussing tactics with Victus, they aim to reinforce you once you're on the surface where they can give coordinated support. He has also..._ordered_, me and Joker to engage the Cerberus frigate." There was a hint of disapproval in EDI's voice, but it disappeared a moment later. "I have chosen to comply, it is logical, unless you instruct me otherwise."

A small chuckle escaped Garrus and Wrex, but Michael was too focused on the task at hand to be amused by the AI's words. "That's a sound plan, I agree with him, how do you rate your chances against that frigate?"

"Its capabilities are unknown and it uses a stealth drive like our own, so I have little information to go on. However, Jeff is still the best pilot known in the Alliance, and possibly Council space...no Jeff, you will not be allowed near the comm to brag..." The AI snapped at the pilot, _why_ she chose to let the others hear that was just another mystery around that machine. _She's gotten a bit_..._odd_..._since getting her body_. "...and I am a fully evolved AI. Knowing all current Cerberus dogfighting tactics, and with a calculating power beyond any Cerberus controlled AI they might have could hope to match. I believe our chances as good."

"Good, take it out, then aim for destroying those shuttles. I want _none_ of them to report back to The Illusive Man." _Or survive at all, for that matter_... Growling the words, Michael turned back to his own task, walking with an old Salarian into a war-zone where every enemy would be looking for them. _I hope they find me, every single one of them_...

Lengthening his strides, Michael marched ahead, the Revenant in his hands yearning for battle.

_You'll get it_.

8

8

8

"Back! Back! Back!"

Leaping down the stairs, Michael felt a bullet thump into his back as his shields faltered, but he parried his staggering with his right foot, then leapt to the left, ducking back around the corner with a grunt as his hand moved back to check the damage. _Superficial, just a crack_..._damn, those snipers have good weapons though_. Turning his head, he found the others trying to recover as well, breathing heavily as they checked their armour for the damage Cerberus had just dealt in spades.

Garrus didn't manage to reach their corner though, and was instead forced to press himself against a white pillar at the bottom and centre of the stairs, the Turian cursing as bullets chipped away at the edges of his cover. His eyes narrowed in annoyance as he shot a glare at the group a few feet away. "Well _that_ went well, _Wrex_!"

"I thought there were fewer of them." The Krogan grunted, shrugging without paying any heed to the orange blood seeping from the many cracks in his armour. Understandably, his large bulk and fearsome appearance drew the most fire. "Apparently I was wrong."

The words got a chuckle out of the Turian. "You don't say?" A shake of his head, his tone turning serious as he looked to Michael. "These sure aren't like the mercs on Omega, not sure we can survive trying that again." To punctuate his statement, a burst of shots tore at his pillar, the Cerberus troops now done pouring shots at the group, they had turned to using small bursts to keep them contained as they advanced.

_He's_ _right_. Michael felt an annoying mix of anger and respect for the Cerberus troops by now. While it had been a long time since Liara, and in particular Wrex, had fought with the group in a proper battle, they had come together as if they'd never been apart, and the team worked like the well-oiled machine that had made a mockery of every Geth under Sovereign's control. Yet the Cerberus troops they'd so far encountered had, despite losses incurred from killing STG troops at a phenomenal rate that could only be attributed to skill and surprise, been a real thorn in Michael's side, slowing the team to a crawl at some points by skilful use of cover, grenades and crossfires.

"Cerberus has trained their men well, it appears, yes." Liara agreed, the Asari leaning her head against the wall as she clutched her Locust with both hands and squeezed her eyes shut, apparently her last biotic attack had been a bit too straining. Michael offered her shoulder a friendly squeeze, making her smile and blush, as she always did, though her eyes remained shut as her lips continued to move. "I believe they've gotten more skilled since Mars."

Mordin, had wisely stayed back...despite his pistol having seen some use, neither Michael or Wrex was willing to risk him at the front, and the Salarian was too smart to argue...cocked his head to the side. "Alternative route will be back and past D-block, heavy fires, risky, approximately thirty minutes longer, only way though."

"No, we're too close to the landing pad now, we're pushing on." Michael growled. "There is _always_ a way." He risked a glance past the corner...

Instantly, a long burst clipped the edge of the corner, forcing him to pull his head back with a grunt as his helmet rang with the impact of several stones shot off the wall that had had been to slow to register for his shield, yet still large enough to make a dent in his armour. Next to his foot, a large mark signified where one of the enemies' Nemesis had nearly clipped him with one of those powerful shots of hers. _Why are they all female_? _I really need to read EDI's report, see if she got anything on it_... Michael shook aside the odd thought, hand coming up to rub the crack in his helmet caused by the barrage of rocks.

He had seen their disposition though, a crack in the helmet was well worth the price of that...though Liara's and Garrus' frowns said otherwise.

It was a long set of stairs ahead, long enough to warrant a platform in the middle. Just below that mid-way mark, five Guardians had come to a halt, shields interlocked to provide a bullet-proof wall for the five troopers, one of them an officer, standing on the platform itself, using the shields of their brothers to keep cover as they kept up their suppressive fire. At the top of the stairs, pressed against the corners on each side, there were two Nemesis', the range was short for their weapons of choice, but as they had proven, not short enough.

"It seems they are holding their position, probably waiting for help before rushing us." Michael muttered, considering his options. _Those shields are not proof against Garrus' Black Widow; my Revenant's armour piercing modification will also let me make short work of them, and we have Wrex's Claymore...but both requires us to expose ourselves_...

"Let them come." Wrex growled, breathing heavily through the nose, reminding Michael of an enraged bull. "I'll show them what happens when you try rushing an Urdnot..." _Send in Wrex first_? _Biotics combined with brute force, simple and_..._too easily deflected with all those Cerberus troops carrying shield generators with their armour, and those big shields have proven resistant to all but a good pull_..._and Liara using it on them would be the same risk as me or Garrus taking a shot at them, worse even, considering she's not as armoured and that using biotics takes longer_.

"Chest pounding, little good, should take long route, or find solution not leading to death." Mordin babbled, making Wrex shoot him a glare. "Preferably soon, before mentioned help arrives." Mordin continued, actually looking _amused_ by the Krogan's gaze. "Keep staring, eye sight will be strained, I'd have to prescribe glasses." Garrus chuckled at the words, even something akin to a low giggle escaped Liara, making Wrex roll his eyes.

_That's it_!

Michael felt like slapping his forehead, but instead looked down at his bandoleer. During his hunt for Saren, Michael had had a preference for grenades, and during his battle with the Collectors a select few had only increased his appreciation for them, not to mention of using them in a more...flexible matter.

As such his bandoleer didn't _just_ contain his old fragmentation grenades. _They would be good if I could get them behind those shields, but that would require an aimed throw, that will do me no good_. _Zaeed's old style incendiary grenades would also be great if they could get behind them, but that will be the same problem_... Michael's hand ignored the green and red one coloured explosives...and instead went for one of the white cylinders, smile wistful. _Thanks_, _Kasumi_...

A burst of fire hitting the floor next to him drew him back to the moment, making Michael straighten. "All right, listen up." The others looked to him, ready even as Michael collapsed his Revenant and put it onto his back to instead pull forth the Eagle pistol on his hip. "This concussive grenade will momentarily blind and disorient them, then we'll hit them. Wrex, you go up the middle with me in support, we punch through the shield-wall and then work our way outwards. Mordin, are you still good at stripping shields?" The Salarian nodded, an old fire reigniting in his eyes. "Then I want you to hit the troopers at the rear. That'll be your cue Liara, singularity, wide and strong. Wrex, if you can add to that for a good blast, that would be good. Garrus-"

"Two targets at the rear, I know it, then got a third bullet left to save your ass with." The Turian interrupted with a grin, making Michael smile.

"Good, then let's show them how it's done." Michael said, pushing his back against the corner as he raised the pistol in his left hand while priming the grenade in his right. "On my mark..." Blindly, he tossed the grenade around the corner, half a second later being greeted by a clanking sound of it hitting a raised shield...

Then there was a bang.

"..._now_!"

With a roar, Wrex rushed past Michael, the Spectre close behind him as he saw the troops behind them reel back, stunned and confused, probably unable to even _hear_ Wrex's approach. A flash of blue light danced along the rear rank of the enemies...and then an orb of dark purple light was flung over Michael's head, striking fast and true and lifting up five grunting and gasping enemy troopers.

A boom...and the Nemesis on the right, the laser-dot of her rifle aimed square at Wrex's forehead, collapsed, the right half of her face missing.

Another roar...and Wrex glowed with purple light, hurling a significantly smaller biotic missile to follow Liara's.

The explosion when the warp hit the lifted Cerberus officer was deafening, making the barely recovering Guardians stagger forward even as their brethren were flung in all directions, flesh tearing and bones breaking as they were smashed into the surrounding walls and furniture.

Then Wrex crashed into the Guardian in the middle, like some primordial beast his foot crashed into the shield, knocking both man and his protective gear flat. Before the soldier could even react, Wrex reached down, grabbed the man by the head with an audible crack of breaking armour and flung him over his shoulder with a grunt.

The soldier shrieked...and then went silent as his back smashed into the pillar Garrus was taking cover behind. A Garrus that rolled behind the cover as a bullet slammed into the ground he had just stood on, only to appear on the other side of the pillar, rifle quickly drawing a bead on his target and firing.

The Nemesis, almost having gotten back into cover, fell onto her knees, hands scrabbling at her throat even as it spurted blood after the head rolling down the stairs.

Not done, Wrex turned to the left, shotgun whirling about and jerking hard even in the Krogan's hands. The shield of the Guardian that had managed to face him in time was shorn in two along the width, the man behind gasping as his chest exploded into gory pieces. Flying backwards, what was now a corpse only bounced off the next Guardian's shield, a Guardian advancing with more confidence now that Wrex had expended the one shot the powerful Claymore allowed, the shield held close to his chest to ward off any blow.

A click...and a bayonet shot forth from Wrex's shotgun as the Krogan lunged, the blade striking through the slit of the shield and making the Guardian cry out in agony as it punched through one of his eye-lenses and found the soft tissue beneath. An unamused grunt from Wrex...and the now flailing Guardian was kicked down the stairs.

Michael was wasting no time either, turning to the right, he engaged the two Guardians on his flank. Behind them, he could even spot two of the troopers slowly getting up despite their injuries, but a hail of Locust and Phalanx fire quickly tore through them, allowing Michael to focus on the more immediate threat.

His omni-blade suddenly shooting forth from his right hand, Michael swung wide at the flank of the Guardian, only to find the blow blocked by a swift shift of the shield to the soldier's left as the Talon in the man's hands moved forth...

Michael batted the enemy's weapon sideways with his left hand before quickly moving it back. With his foe's shield holding back his omni-blade, and his own weapon-arm pushed far to the side, there was nothing he could do when Michael pressed his Eagle against the man's temple and squeezed the trigger, felling him in a hail of bullets.

_Die, traitors_!

Not even bothering to release the trigger, Michael swept the weapon round to pour shots into the second Guardian, the armour piercing modification doing its job in punching through the protective shield, making the enemy gasp...only for the gasp to turn into a wet gurgle as a powerful boom resounded through the chamber, making the Guardian drop his shield to reveal a pair of shoulders decorated what was left of the soldier's head.

Finding some of his anger abating, Michael turned to grin at Garrus as he pointed at the now prone corpse. "Hey, that doesn't count, I had him!"

The Turian smirked back. "Suuure you did...how many times have I saved you now?"

"I'm telling you, it doesn't count!"

"Next door, landing pad, enemy resistance to be expected." Mordin interrupted, voice tense with worry, making Garrus shoot the Salarian a glare as Michael turned back to the task at hand, face once more a grim mask.

"Right, we continue, EDI will spot us and signal Kaidan, they are already in position to come in to support us. That said, we shouldn't take any risks, there is still at least one Cerberus shuttle, as well as a frigate, out there, so keep it tight until we're out of here." Michael moved up the stairs, collapsing his Eagle and drawing his Raptor sniper rifle, remembering the open space of the landing pad ahead. "I want suppressive fire on all corners, take any cover you can find and keep yourself alive, no need to charge at this point."

Ahead, there was a small corridor of open space, but no enemies, and the door ahead unlocked, the green light in its centre almost inviting. _Come on in, the spider said to the fly_... Michael found a low growl escape him as he marched forth, Wrex on his left, followed by Garrus and Liara, Mordin being the rearguard that by now was struggling to keep up with his cane. _Well spiders are hunted too, so let's see who's the predator at this point_...

"Everyone ready?" There were no words in affirmative, just nods that Michael just knew were there...and he pressed the controls before rushing forth...

Rushing right into a hail of bullets.

Finding his shields flash with the impacts, Michael was glad to easily find cover. The landing platform had seen heavy fighting, and grenades had torn great holes into it, making metal twist upwards to create improvised walls. The Salarian guards had died very close to where they had stood, their grey armour blotched with green blood, but they had not died alone, as testified by a few white armoured men strewn over the floor.

All around him, the others leapt for cover, even Mordin managing to squeeze his thin frame into a small crater with an annoyed mutter. Wrex had, his biology making it a given, picked the largest hunk of metal as his cover, and was being surprisingly quick with shooting and reloading his claymore from behind its protection as he kept the enemy on the left at bay._ Looks like a renaissance musketeer...if they had been toads_...

Garrus had switched from his Black Widow to the swifter firing Mattock, using the gun to squeeze off round after round at something Michael couldn't quite spot at the right. Liara was using the cover just behind the Turian, the Asari's Locust darting out to fire at the right, then the centre, the storm of shots fired in her direction to keep her from using her biotics barely allowing even _that_.

_Right, time to see what this gun can do outside the firing range_. Rolling over on his stomach, Michael pushed the Raptor over the jagged edge of his cover, the low scope of the rifle making drawing a bead on the nearest two enemies in a cover only two dozen feet away easy. Firing seven rounds in quick succession, Michael found the first target's shield flare from the first shot, then saw him stumble back from the second shot striking his chest, then jerk sideways and fall to the floor as the third caught him in the head. The second foe turned his rifle to bear on Michael...only for the fourth and fifth shot to strike his shield and then arm to spoil his aim before two more shots struck him in the chest, making him stumble into the open. Michael finished him off with another two shots to the head. _I like it_... Getting up on one knee, Michael emptied the remaining six rounds against another two Cerberus troopers, making them duck for cover with their shields knocked out. _Yes, this works for me_...

A hail of shots struck his shield, making Michael dart back down behind his cover as he reloaded, his face grim as he wondered if EDI had spotted them yet. _She can't miss this, can she_?_ Stupid jamming coming back up_..._can't she crack it again_?_ I hate working on_...

A whistling sound made Michael look up, just in time to see something white, and _large_, come flying down from the sky.

A crash...and a machine, as large as a Mako, but with two legs and arms, stood before them, the pilot protected behind a yellow window of what had to be shielded glass, its left arm an ominous looking gripping arm, the right sporting a cannon the size of a _person_.

..._assumptions_...

Michael stared at the machine straightening from an impact having cracked the floor beneath it...and then watched it as it began to plod forward, cannon tearing a large piece off the top of Wrex's cover. "Get down! Concentrate shots on the new target!" Michael shouted the orders, knowing the others would already be doing that out of desperation. _Crap, crap, crap_! Drawing a bead on his target, Michael fired six quick shots, only to have them rebound off the massive machine's shield. _Think, flanking manoeuvre is the only way, keep moving and engage, whittle it away, it's no different than a Geth Armature, though the battlefield is cramped and the supporting infantry isn't as easily overcome as Geth troopers_... "Garrus, go right! Liara with-!"

Grunting, Michael found himself bowled over as a volley of shots tore down his shields, two shots striking his helmet before he even knew he was being fired upon. His vision swimming, he looked up, finding the last Cerberus shuttle sweep over him before it gracefully turned to hover on the right side of the landing platform, three troopers within the opened side door taking cover behind a large box as their rifles spat death at the flanked squad.

_Okay, new plan_. "Wrex! Move up!" Michael didn't like how desperate he sounded. "The rest of us follow and turn our flank before-!"

With a boom, the Cerberus shuttle was turned into a fireball, a familiar shuttle marked with the Alliance colours flying in from above...and further above Michael spotted the familiar blue light of a distant Thanix cannon, its shot too greeted by an explosion as the Normandy's target was annihilated.

Now having replaced the Cerberus shuttle's position, Cortez swung his shuttle around, opening both side passages to reveal the gun mounted on the inside with a grinning James behind the controls. Behind the marine, Kaidan, EDI and Javik leapt down from the back of the shuttle just as James opened fire, the heavy calibre shots stitching a brutal line across the landing pad, instantly slackening the amount of shots coming from the enemy infantry even before Kaidan's team joined in, biotic and tech attacks sailing through the air and into the exposed flank of the Cerberus troops.

His blood thumping in his veins, Michael leapt to his feet. "Kill them all!" He threw a grenade, only realising it was an inferno grenade when it neatly landed atop the cover three Cerberus troopers were using, turning both it and them into a column of fire. One died instantly while the other two flailed around in panic, only to quickly be silenced by Michael's Raptor. Two other troopers, running to avoid Kaidan's flanking manoeuvre, came to a stop as the cover they intended to take became a death-trap...and instantly fell to EDI and Kaidan's incineration attacks hitting them in the back.

With a whir, the enemy walker, unshaken by the carnage, turned to face the shuttle, body moving to brace itself as it brought its cannon to bear on its target...and then the arm jerked as a missile attached to the bottom of the cannon shot forth.

With a surprisingly graceful lift, the shuttle let the missile harmlessly pass beneath it even as James turned his heavy gun on the walker, powerful bullets making the machine's shields flare white, struggling to resist the barrage.

Then, with a hiss, the Normandy's second shuttle appeared at the far side of the landing pad, turned its flank and opening its side door, revealing another heavy gun, this one manned by General Victus, the Turian's face grim as he opened fire.

The stream of bullets struck the back of the walker, making it stumble forward as its shields failed. A groan escaped it, its servos struggling against the bullets trying to knock it over, but slowly it began to turn, trying to attack its second assailant.

A flash of blue light crossed it, then two, then three, as Kaidan, EDI and Mordin hit it with tech attacks intent on overloading its systems. Purple light began to swirl around it, then it jerked with an internal boom as Javik and Liara's biotic attacks tore its insides apart. Garrus had switched to his Black Widow, the boom of it was only rivalled by that of the walker as its right arm was shorn off at the elbow. Throwing another inferno grenade at the walker, Michael watched the fire eat away at the inside of its right knee, making it lean dangerously to the side, then back to the other side as Wrex fired his Claymore at the inside of its other knee.

Gunning his shuttle over to the far side of the landing pad, Cortez let James' fire join that of Victus into hitting the front of the machine.

It was enough to end it.

A large groan...and the walker fell backwards, legs breaking apart as they were burnt into two unrecognisable piles of twisted black metal. The rest of it ended up on its back, smoking and broken, pieces of it hanging off it, the glass shattered and blood splattered over what little remained of the cockpit, the pilot nothing but pieces.

Silence.

Then a lone cheer, James raising his fists into the air. "Boyah! How's _that_ for flanking, huh! Not so tough when you're not being the ones catching us off guard, _are_ you!"

Michael found a small chuckle escape him, James' mood infectious as relief flooded him._ God, it was close for a moment there_...

Collapsing his Raptor, Michael looked around himself, gaze drift over the many corpses of Salarians and Cerberus troops, but mostly just seeing those that still stood.

Victus and Wrex, leaders of two people at odds, were looking at one another, long and hard...and then Wrex offered a brief nod, the corner of his lips tugging up for but a moment...and Victus returned the gesture in kind.

EDI had helped Mordin to his feet, smiling politely as the very curious Salarian studied her chassis, the man not in the least embarrassed how it might look to a human, his babbling excited while the machine answered his every question.

James, now on a landed shuttle, pulled Cortez over and wrapped a massive arm around the much smaller man as he eagerly gestured at the downed walker while clearly bragging, and Cortez was obviously teasing him with a gleam in his eyes before James shoved him away with a laugh.

Liara had found a Cerberus trooper with his helmet off and was poking the side of the corpse with a look of disgust on her face when Garrus appeared on her side, whispering something to her with a gleam in his eyes...and then laughing as the Asari turned to berate him with a pout on her lips.

And Kaidan standing alone. Leaning against what a Cerberus trooper had used for cover just moments ago, the biotic was steadily eyeing Michael, waiting.

_Yeah, you did good, damn good_...

Michael offered the man a respectful nod.

After a moment, the man nodded back.

Nothing else needed to be said.

8

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8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for Mass to my Effect._


	18. Chapter 18

"I do not understand, these Salarians sterilised the Krogan?"

Javik's question, aimed at the Turian opposite him by the table, made the human sitting next to Garrus flinch. Even where he was, collecting his own meal, Kaidan saw James shoot Mordin, sitting further away reading a datapad, a worried look. The Salarian didn't seem to notice. Garrus for his part shifted, uncomfortable with the topic. _Not surprising, given the Turian's part in that, at least Wrex left on that ship heading for Tuchanka and isn't around to hear this_..._though damn, the warning he gave to everyone about harming Mordin_..._I think even __Michael__ shuddered at that_.

Javik didn't seem in the least concerned about the appropriateness of his words as he continued with his questions, sounding genuinely puzzled. "Yet not completely, their species still continue? Why would they do this?"

Shifting where he sat; Garrus hesitated, then sighed. "It's complicated, but basically the Krogan were used as a weapon by the Council to counter the Rachni, once that was done, however, the Krogan were still very violent...that coupled with their high birth rate led to war, more or less. We Turians showed up about then, helped the Council, that's how we got our seat there, yet even so the Krogan were slowly winning. So we demanded the Salarians give us the genophage they had kept to just threaten the Krogan with and...deployed it." Garrus grimaced. "It was probably necessary, but I wouldn't call it our proudest moment."

Kaidan held back a snort. _On that, we can agree_. Kaidan found the whole story about the genophage and for how long it had been going on to be reprehensible...though it irked him somewhat to agree with Garrus, even though the Turian's excusing of such a drastic measure took the edge off that agreement. Kaidan had never liked Garrus. The Turian was a brash hot-head too casual with his life and that of others, not to mention that he took _pride_ in flouting the rules his own people had set up.

Fortunately, Garrus didn't like Kaidan either, and it wasn't surprising that the Turian hadn't even cast a glance at the biotic so slowly arranging his large meal without trying to look as if he was eavesdropping. Javik, his back to the kitchen, probably didn't even notice the other Spectre as he spoke. "The Krogan seem to be worthy enemies, why didn't you completely sterilise them and remove the threat they posed?"

"It would have been in line with Turian military doctrine." Garrus agreed with a nod, but then shrugged. "It was a long time ago, the Salarians made the genophage like that and we probably didn't have time to change it. Hell, I doubt the Salarians and Asari would have agreed upon it. Guess they felt too guilty about the idea of wiping out the race that so recently had saved them against the Rachni..."

"Empathy is a waste." Javik snorted, making Kaidan glare at the Protheans back. _I agree with Liara, he's not what one would expect of a Prothean, famed for their wisdom, to be._ "Letting an enemy live only breeds resentment and further death to your own side, better to finish them when they're at their weakest and remove them as a factor."

"I understand what you're saying, and it makes sense, especially considering the animosity most Krogan show the rest of the galaxy now." Kaidan glowered at the Turian, as always disgusted with how easily the Turian viewed the horrors of war so coldly, but then forced himself to look away while Garrus raised a hand. "That said, they _didn't_ wipe out the Krogan, and we should be thankful for it, we'll _need_ them."

"Agreed." Javik nodded, sounding somewhat satisfied, only to cock his head to the side. "Yet you said these Rachni still live? We thought we had wiped them out during our cycle...yet now they linger...a threat to us all, but our Commander...freed their last queen?" Feeling a pang of painful nostalgia, Kaidan smiled down at his full tray of food._ Yeah, he did_..._I'm not sure he would do it now though, he's_..._changed_. The smile faltered. "I do not understand this decision, did he intend to use them against the Reapers as well? An admirable strategy."

"I...don't think strategy had much to do with that decision, actually." Garrus hesitated. "But considering it was just _one_ queen I don't think it's much of a threat to us, at least not for a few hundred years..._if_ it even decides to attack, that is."

Javik snorted. "Clearly, you have not studied the Rachni's ability to spawn."

"No, they left that out in basic training." Garrus dryly retorted, leaning back in his chair as he put a purple morsel left on his plate into his mouth. "So you fought the Rachni?"

"Not personally, no, I only learnt of it through memory shards in what few libraries remained. When I was born, the Reapers had already arrived, I fought off my first husk at age fourteen." Javik said, drawing a low whistle from James. "It is nothing to be proud of, human, you can slay a thousand husks, and more will replace them. The Reapers do not just turn those they capture or kill, but clone those that have been made, ensuring that any losses become insignificant. They wear you out, only bothering to come down to fight you themselves if you resist long enough."

"How did you _fight_ those things, anyway? As I understand it you guys held out for quite a bit, no?" James wondered, what little remained on his plate being picked up by eager fingers as his fork lay forgotten. Chewing loudly, the man pointed his greasy finger at Javik. "I mean those things are _huge,_ and with all that firepower...but you killed a few, didn't you?"

Garrus was quicker than the Prothean though, elbow hitting James in the side. "Don't overestimate them, the Turian fleet has downed a few of those things by concentrated firepower, they might be superior to our ships in all ways, but they're _not_ unbeatable."

"Yeah, yeah...doesn't change my question though." James moved to lightly tackle the Turian sideways, making both smile. _Making more friends, are you, Vakarian_? Gloomily, Kaidan realised he was jealous._ Eugh, it's of no consequence_...

Finally unable to stand there any longer without attracting stares, Kaidan grabbed his tray and turned to walk to the dinning tables. Garrus and James looked up at that, the former giving Kaidan a steady – almost unfriendly – look, the later looking a little awkward at the idea of him sitting down by them due to Garrus and Kaidan's animosity.

Kaidan wasn't about to make things awkward though, not when he actually had a..._conversation_ to have. _This will be walking on thin ice_..._I better be careful_. Casually, Kaidan walked over to where Mordin was and sat himself down opposite the Salarian, a Salarian not even noticing him, eyes on the datapad in his hands.

Uncertain how to begin, especially with the others nearby, Kaidan found himself pushing his food around with his fork as he glanced over to the other side of the dining area.

There, Javik was grimacing at James' pointing finger until the human lowered it, then shrugged. "We had _proper_ technology to face the Reapers, not the primitive things you use." A sigh. "Though...each weapon we used was based on technology they had left, as powerful as we had made them, the Reapers were designed to resist them. On the ground we, desperate, developed a way to get past their powerful shields though, using a biotic enhancement machine hooked to dozens of Prothean, we could hurl large balls of lead at them, aiming for the gaps in their armour, we could damage them enough to make them retreat."

"Wait, wait..." James held up two greasy hands, chuckling. "I _distinctly_ remember you talking shit about us humans still using close combat weapons...and now you're telling me the Prothean used a _catapult_? Errr...you don't see the irony there, do you?" Garrus joined the human in chuckling, eyeing Javik with amusement.

"It _wasn't_ a 'catapult'." Javik snorted, annoyed. "It was a biotic enhancing machine using the combined power of several-"

"Cat-a-pult." James interrupted, drawing a small laugh out of Garrus as Javik scowled at the human.

"It does not matter, you people are too _primitive_ to create this type of...'catapult'..." Javik shook his head. "Our chances are remote at best."

James shifted, suddenly looking worried, but Garrus shrugged. "You're looking at it the wrong way. Sure, we don't have your technology, but we still have to fight, so we have to find a solution. You hurled these things at the Reapers to get past their shields, right? Well that means _we_ have to find a reliable way past their shields, then aim for the chinks in the armour as you did, and however we do it, we have to make it reliable enough to work many times. Hell, with the destruction of Sovereign three years ago we've had time to study the Reaper tech, don't think you Prothean had the Thanix cannon...might give us an edge."

Looking a bit relieved, James nodded at the Turian's words as Kaidan looked away. _You're right, but how_? _And every moment we spend trying to find a way, people are dying_...

"You sound much like the Commander." Javik commented, sounding as if he was approving. "Yes, we must find a way, for I will _not_ allow the Reapers to live on."

"Now _you_ sound like the Commander." Garrus replied, smiling. _He's not the bloody commander_! Kaidan huffed, annoyed with the situation, with himself. _Damn, did Udina __have__ to send that report_? _Now that I'm finally starting to feel as if I can trust Michael_? "Anyway, I have some calibrations to do, talk to you later?" The Turian rose to his feet, empty tray in his hands.

"I have meditations to tend to...but yes, we should discuss tactics. The Commander is too busy and while you know the extent of your cycle's limitations, both in technology and otherwise, I know much of the Reapers, together we might find a way." Javik noted, he too rising up with his tray and joining the Turian moving towards the kitchen.

Behind them, James came after, wiping his fingers clean against an already greasy shirt while joining them in putting his tray into the cleaner. "Don't forget about me, compadre, you and I were going to have a bit of one-on-one sparring, if I recall...or are you chickening out?"

"Wouldn't dream of it, we'll go right now." Garrus snorted. "Though...are you sure? I might prefer a sniper rifle, but I have an expert rating in Turian hand-to-hand...and that's designed to cause pain..."

"Pain just means you learn quicker." James shrugged, walking beside the Turian as they moved towards the elevator, not even throwing Kaidan a glance. "Not that you'd ever manage to even _touch_ me..."

Rounding the corner, Garrus' voice became distant. "Okay, it's on now."

_One, two, three_... Taking a deep breath, Kaidan listened...and understood the group had gotten out of earshot. It was...vexing to being apart from the others, not part of the comradeship. _I suppose it's all part of being a Spectre_..._though Michael manages it_..._guess I have things to learn_. Kaidan grimaced, clenching his utensils tightly. _Or maybe because there's so much history with most here_..._guess_ _James wanted to be with the 'popular' group_... Kaidan sighed, glaring at his food. _Though it's not as if I tried to be friendly with him either, can't_..._shouldn't__ do that, with protocols and all_. _If only there were more officers on this ship_..._or_..._well I guess I didn't get along with them back on Earth either_..._the price you pay for being a covert operator, I suppose_.

_Speaking of which_...

Looking up, Kaidan found Mordin still sitting by the table, still reading, his food going ignored. "You know...it's not healthy to forget about eating..." Kaidan spoke gently, trying to ease himself into a conversation with the Salarian. He knew, of course, that Mordin had been with Michael on the Collector base, allied with Cerberus...but he also got the feeling that while Michael and Mordin were friendly, they weren't too close, not close enough to make questions about the man's character insult the Salarian, at least.

_Is this really necessary_? _I saw the battlefield on Sur'Kesh_. There had been no doubt about it, Cerberus had been ready to kill Michael's entire team, _including_ the Spectre himself, and that without Kaidan there at first, without a _reason_ to masquerade a hidden alliance. That, coupled with the moment he had shared with the man afterwards, made every instinct in Kaidan's body _scream_ at him to trust Michael.

But Kaidan had long ago learnt not to trust his instincts, they had nearly gotten him killed...and the _reason_ he had survived back then had now sent a troubling report to him. Udina was angry, that much the report – written by a Volus spy pretending to be a merchant of all things – made clear, but the reason for his anger was well-founded. The team they had sent to Noveria had met with an impostor of a Gianna Parasini – she was now presumed dead – and lead into an ambush that had gotten them all killed. The Cerberus team that had executed the ambush had then not only sabotaged a fighter base the corporations had set up there, but _also_ managed to make good their escape along with a lot of classified research data stolen from the various corporations there.

All of that had only been possible because the _one_ Alliance unit in that system with the capability to hit Cerberus had been lead straight to their deaths. So not only had the deployment of the team done the _opposite_ of stopping Cerberus from getting their hands on important research, but it had also allowed for a crippling blow against the defences of the planet, which had lead to the entire planet being evacuated as Reaper forces approached.

It was, in short, a disaster.

_They must have known of our plans, but how_? _Not from me, nor Udina_..._maybe someone in Udina's staff_?_ But he didn't tell anyone of it_..._it was all done through safe channels_..._which leaves Michael_. _But it doesn't make sense, he must be against them, right_? _Why would he aid them when they're trying to kill him_! _Unless_..._those_ _implants_..._could_ _they_ _have_..._listening_ _devices_ _in_ _them_?_ Is that possible when they're within his body_? Kaidan doubted it, but it was the only explanation he could come up with, and he had therefore decided to watch what he said around the Spectre. Still, he wasn't about to _completely_ trust his instincts or throw off his suspicions about Shepard as a person, which was why he was sitting across from the clever Mordin.

A Mordin shrugging at his question. "Old, little need for food. Still, rations come in standard packs, last long time, can work here until meal is finished, approximate it to last three hours."

"Right..." Kaidan blinked, still not used to the way the Salarian spoke. "So...how's that work going?"

"Lost all equipment from Sur'Kesh, equipment on Normandy enough to improvise though. Krogan organ redundancy helping, tissue regeneration troubling, repairing of DNA so efficient it stops cure from working after five hours, must choose attack sites carefully, possibly using meosis-specific proteins as carriers...would bypass DNA repairs by resetting cures efficiency with each cellular division." A sniff. "Krogan sperm creation every seven hours though, too late, must improve efficiency at binding sites."

"So...well?" Kaidan guessed, his biology, especially on _Krogan_, somewhat rusty. "I trust you'll do it. As I understand it, you even helped Michael deal with the Collectors, against those swarms of theirs...?"

"Yes, fascinating job, studied their sensory organs, scent glands tailored to find organic tissue, specifically human, inoculation with my solution temporary convinced them we were otherwise." The Salarian sniffed. "Fascinating work, easier though, despite Collectors advanced technology, larger margins for error."

"Interesting, though I'm surprised you were willing to work for Cerberus, given that the STG, and you, I presume, knows so much of their operations..." Kaidan eyed the Salarian carefully, unsure how Mordin would react.

The Salarian shrugged, not even bothering to look up. "Didn't work for Cerberus, worked for Shepard, a favour for a favour, he did me two, I helped him with Collector swarms and base, fair."

"But _Shepard_ worked for Cerberus." Kaidan argued, unsure how far he could push things. "The Normandy, the crew, it was all Cerberus."

"Hmmm, suppose you're right." Mordin cocked his head to the side, gaze never leaving the datapad. "However, didn't feel it at time, Shepard in command, Miss Lawson and Mr Taylor under him, Illusive Man contacting us irregularly."

Kaidan tensed, the name that wasn't a name setting him on edge. "The Illusive Man, yes...you have...details on that?"

"Have already made my reports to STG." Mordin's eyes flashed in annoyance, but then sniffed. "Was never privy to see him, never cared to, Shepard spoke to him, sharing of information, discussing goals, standard procedure."

_I wouldn't call anything the Illusive Man does as standard_... "I know it's not my place to ask...but how was Shepard's..._relationship_ to the Illusive Man?"

For the first time in their conversation, Mordin looked up, large eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "Don't trust the Commander?" A cock to his head, and the Salarian frowned. "Previous service with you severed prematurely as I understand it, due to injury? Or something else?" Kaidan tensed, but Mordin just kept talking. "Then work with Cerberus, Cerberus now enemy, trust damaged? Cerberus rebuilt Shepard, Shepard now works with AI, even Geth, previous enemy..."

"I've read the reports..." Kaidan grunted, shifting where he sat. _Legion_..._who_ _names_ _a_ _Geth_! _Or work with them_! _Why would Tali allow this_!

"...afraid Cerberus is affecting Shepard's judgement? Hidden alliance?" Mordin continued, as if Kaidan hadn't spoken at all. "Would not worry, Shepard does what he does to fight Reapers, Cerberus secondary concern, still...enemy to them."

"Yes, yes...I _know_..." Kaidan managed...and it wasn't falsehood, his _instincts_ knew it was right...but he had to be sure. "...but can't you _please_ tell me of Shepard's relationship to those within Cerberus."

Mordin stared at him for a moment, then shrugged. "Relationship with crew good, crew all former Alliance or colonists, uniform change, little else." _Not what I would call it_... Kaidan nearly growled at the thought of such traitors. "Mr Taylor, good, friends, former Alliance soldier, affiliation with Cerberus strained. Miss Lawson, cool but became friendly, as gossip went." A sniff. "Illusive Man...strained relationship, Shepard angry with man at times, distrusting, however, respectful, I believe."

"Okay...good..." Kaidan nodded to himself, relaxing somewhat at the words. _Respectful_..._not so good, maybe, but distrusting and angry with the man_..._yeah, I can understand that, and there's no way he was just putting up a show back then, there wouldn't have been a need_...

"Not to worry, Shepard ally, end of discussion." With that, Mordin returned to his reading, seemingly glowering at the datapad.

"I suppose..." Kaidan sighed. _Dammit, why can't I just trust my gut_! _Stupid Udina and his report_..._but how did Cerberus know of it then_!

"Kaidan."

Kaidan jumped at his name, guilt rushing through him as he turned his head, finding Michael standing behind him. _Oh damn, this is bad_... Kaidan studied Michael's face, but found no hostility in it, just a respectful neutral face. _I_..._don't_ _think_ _he_ _heard_, _did_ _he_? "Shepard, can I help you?"

"Yes, I need you to ready up, we have a deployment soon."

"Huh?"

"We've reached the Ninmah Cluster and-"

"_What_!" Kaidan stared at the man, then forced himself to take a deep breath. _Calm down, no need to start another fight when we've just buried the hatchet_... Struggling, he forced himself to keep his questions calm "I...I'm...surprised...why? Haven't we've been heading for Tuchanka...?"

"No need for that yet." Michael shrugged. "Mordin here isn't done with the cure yet, we would just be twiddling our thumbs, so I'm getting another thing done before that."

"Errr...last time we did that we lost Primarch Fedorian..." Kaidan pointed out, feeling unsure about how far he could criticise the decision without ruining him and Michael's new-found peace.

"True..." Michael took a deep breath, face looking as if he was straining to remain neutral for but a moment. "...but that worked out well enough in the end, and this is important."

"What's going on then?"

"In a gesture of good-will, Wrex and Victus had a company of Krogan soldiers sent here via some Turian ships to extract some Turian scouts sending off a distress signal, showing that the two races could work together and all that. Only _now_ there's no contact from the scouts, the Krogan _or_ the ships sent there..." Michael grimaced. "As you know, Turian and Krogan relations aren't the best, and there's people on _both_ sides that might view this as some sort of treachery...if this alliance is to work we have to make sure they don't get any ammunition."

"Ah..." Kaidan took a deep breath. _He's right, I suppose_..._yes, it's good enough a reason to take a detour, especially when we can't do anything on Tuchanka_. "...yes, you're right."

Was it just Kaidan, or did Michael's shoulders slump in relief at that? "Yeah, well as I said we've already reached the system, EDI thinks she's found the remains of the Turian ships, so we're going to do a drop on the planet of Utukku around which the pieces circle. I'm thinking a full combat drop, just to be sure there's no surprise waiting down there."

"Sounds good."

"Great, then let's go."

"Yeah..." Kaidan shot Mordin a look, but the Salarian was ignoring the current conversation, and gave no hint of the one he'd had with Kaidan just a moment ago. "...yeah, let's."

8

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Utukku was a bleak planet.

Where they weren't dark grey formations of rocks, which there was a _lot_ of, there was instead grey sand. Yet even so, the planet somehow sported an atmosphere. According to EDI there were plants growing on the planet, though brown and short they had been impossible to spot in the shuttle, and now that they had set down, Michael found no other. _Still, can breathe without the re-breather on, that's always a plus_.

Looking around the landscape, Michael sighed. Even without the depressing terrain, the sky was covered in dark storm-clouds that heralded a storm, a sky that apparently was the usual sight on Utukku._ Bad place to die_..._why did the scouts choose to set up camp here_? _I guess if you want to keep an eye out for Reapers in the system this is the only one with an atmosphere, which makes things easier_..._but doesn't that make it a bit too obvious to check out by an invasion force_? "How much further?" Javik growled at the rear, the Prothean apparently getting impatient. "In my cycle, we would not be walking this distance like some migrating animals."

"Ah, so they were lazy back then? Good to know." James quipped, drawing a chuckle out of the group.

Ahead, their guide grunted. His large bulk, covered in black armour as large as one would expect of an old Krogan, swayed back and forth as he marched down the narrow path, shoulders constantly hitting the cliffs on either side of them. "Not far now, the company has made their camp down this path."

"Good to see that at least the Krogan has survived." Michael said, trying to smooth things out after Javik's question, the last thing they needed was to make more enemies. "Though no one else survived, not one Turian?"

"Two wounded Turians from the ship." The Krogan sighed with a shrug, not sounding interested. "As to the scouts...well our camp was made on what little remained of theirs, we've already buried the corpses, as per the wounded one's..._request_." A grunt of irritation, his mutter low, but not low enough not to be heard. "Don't know why we bothered, who cares about some dead skull-faces?"

Behind him, Michael could practically _feel_ Garrus tense up, the Turian's tone was calm though. "Yes, I'm sure digging a few graves must have been awful for you, why couldn't they have the decency of dying in space with the other Turians that gave their lives against the Reaper attack so you could deploy?"

A grunt escaped the Krogan, but he didn't answer.

Silence.

"We're here." Plodding to the right the moment the path opened up, the Krogan hurried away, Garrus' eyes boring into his back even as Michael gave his friend a calming pat on the shoulder while he looked out over the Krogan base.

It had clearly seen better days. As told by the scout that had gone to get them once the shuttle had been spotted, they had been attacked by a Reaper dreadnought with a few destroyers in tow the moment they had approached the planet. The Krogan had barely managed to get to their shuttles before the entire fleet had been massacred...the fact that they hadn't been hunted down could only be attributed to the blasts of the destroyed Turian cruiser masking their departure. Unfortunately, they had found the Turian scouts killed, though the scout hadn't specified how...given that one of the half-dozen buildings made of riveted plates of steel was of Turian design, Michael guessed it hadn't been by a Reaper.

_At least the Krogan company is intact, that's something, with them and those two Turians we have not only preserved some of our military resources, but can also squash any rumours of either side being treacherous._ Michael eyed the Krogan ranks, most of them were sitting near their ramshackle buildings, others patrolling the perimeter...and _all_ had their weapons out. _Or maybe this will get more complicated_...

Sighing, Michael turned towards a movement in the corner of his eyes, expecting to find the Krogan company's leader.

Then he was hoisted off his feet, a thick arm coming around his waist and squeezing him fast as a familiar voice growled out in excitement. "Shepard! Garrus!"

Turning his head, Michael found Garrus too being lifted off his feet, the Turian gasping as he eyed the Krogan in silvery, though by now slightly scuffed, armour holding them up. "Nice to see you too, Grunt..."

"Grunt!" Michael exclaimed, surprised at the joy suddenly shooting through him. Despite his size, Grunt felt like the kid of the crew of the Normandy, and every family needed just that._ Looks __like he's grown up though_... Michael grinned. "Nice set of scars over the crest, seen a lot of enemy action?"

"No, Battlemaster." The Krogan let the two men go, but still grinned as he shot a nod back at the many Krogan warriors staring at them. "Wrex knew my potential, and also that I've served with diverse groups, so he put me in charge of Aralakh company, a company consisting of Krogan from many clans, a company that marks Wrex's idea of our future."

"That doesn't explain the scars." Michael smiled, pointing at the white strips across the Krogan's segmented head.

"Oh _that_." Grunt chuckled. "Many veterans weren't happy about a 'pup' being put in charge, so I had to show them _why_ Wrex did as he did. A few scars help with getting respect, and if you get them while knocking a man a hundred times your age on his ass...then all the better." A wolfish grin escaped the Krogan. "I've found my place, Battlemaster, and I _like_ it."

"That's what I like to hear." Michael nodded, surprised by the sudden pride swelling in his chest. He hadn't much thought of it when Grunt had named him Battlemaster, but then he had felt its significance when they'd killed that Thresher Maw...and now..._now_ he understood what it meant. It wasn't a duty or a job, it was a _privilege_. "Though...I don't doubt your skill at arms and such, but how is it leading a group of men? It's not the same thing..."

If the Krogan found an insult in the question, his laugh concealed it. "Ha! That's part of the fun! If I'm to be the perfect Krogan I need to know all ways of war...and I've learned _much_ in these last few months..." Grunt grinned, nodding to himself. "Why do you think I haven't attacked yet? With no ship it would be a death-sentence, I'm not going to waste my men needlessly."

"That's good to hear." Garrus dryly said, scratching his fringe. "Though it might help if you tell us what there is to attack. We only heard about the distress beacon and evacuating your company."

"Oh, right, that." Grunt shifted, actually looking a bit embarrassed. "As I said...still learning..."

"This is the leader of these Krogan?" Javik scoffed in the distance. "Was he dropped on his head as a child?"

Grunt's eyes narrowed...and a moment later he was standing inches away from Javik, dwarfing the man as his gaze bore down on the Prothean. "You have a problem with me, _insect_? Because if you do we'll settle it right now."

Looking up at the massive Krogan, Javik snorted, paused, reached out to touch a muscled arm of the Krogan...and then smiled. "No, I do not, you are a brutal beast, bred for war, you'll do fine."

"Damn right I will." Grunt growled, thinking the Prothean had simply backed off. _Of course, maybe he did, but didn't want to show it_... Plodding back to Michael and Garrus, the Krogan pointed past their heads, making them turn their heads to look at a distant mountain. "According to the logs left of the Turian scouts, the Reapers have some sort of base over there. I've personally seen two Reaper dreadnoughts land at the top, and the Turians had written down many more visits, I think they might be loading up troops."

"A cloning factory maybe?" Garrus postulated. "Seems to be a strange place to put it on, what's so special about it? Why hide it?"

"That's what I wondered." Grunt growled, nodding sagely, which looked a bit funny on the man Michael remembered as a brute. "So I had the company scout it out. The Reapers seem to seal up the entrance at the top, but there's another two entrances nearby, which we've kept watching for a sign of weakness. It's guarded by several of those Turian and Batarian husks, but also some other strange creature. It's as large as a Krogan, but walks on six legs and doesn't seem to have a head...our engineer seems to think it's some sort of walking artillery."

"Maybe they are what the Reapers are making here?" Michael frowned. T_he Reapers have enough strange creatures on their side_..._and for whatever reason the Reapers are hiding it here, which means it's not so easily replaced, we should destroy this facility_.

"Sounds about right." Kaidan suddenly spoke up. _Huh, him agreeing with me_..._I could get used to that_. Michael managed a soft smile, though couldn't quite bring himself to turn and show the biotic it. "Also sounds like a thing we should do something about."

"Wait, you have an engineer? James asked, sounding confused. "Then why didn't he set up some kind of radio to ask for help?"

"Because it might have been the reason the Reapers caught the Turians." Grunt replied with a shrug, the fact that he had thought things through that far making Michael and Garrus exchange a surprised look. "Anyway, no reason to call in more people here to get jumped by the Reaper ships going back and forth, and now that _you're_ here, we can take this place out and leave before they come back."

"Agreed." Michael nodded, then turned his head. "EDI, have the Normandy keep a low profile and keep your sensors on alert, I don't want a Reaper dreadnought sneaking up on us."

"Yes, Shepard."

Grunt laughed. "EDI! The AI! That you! Ha! Why am I not surprised! Good to see you fighting as _real_ men should!"

"I'm not a man...but thank you, your sentiment is appreciated." EDI replied, smiling softly at the Krogan. "I have had Joker stash the action figures you forgot on the Normandy, if you care to reclaim them later..."

Shooting a glance back with wide eyes, Grunt then looked back to EDI with an annoyed look on his face, leaning forward as he put up a hand between his mouth and his company. "Not so loud, dammit!" Michael, James and Garrus chuckled, even Liara joined in with a titter. "And...yes, that would be nice." Then _laughed_. "_Battlemaster_!"

"Sorry, sorry..." Michael shook his head, trying to clear out the tears that had nearly appeared in the corner of his eyes, taking a deep breath he looked up at the embarrassed looking Grunt. "So you said you've scouted it? You know of two entrances?" Grunt nodded, grinning, making Michael mirror it. "You have a plan, don't you?"

"You're damn right I do." Grunt knelt and drew two lines in the sand, one longer and one shorter. "They have two entrances, one big and one small, both are defended, but the smaller one is only guarded by a few sentries. I figure I attack with my company against the big entrance, there's a dip in the ground the husks haven't spotted, so we should get right on top of them right from the start to minimize losses." He drew a thin line towards the longer line. "Husks aren't too disciplined, so that'll draw away the sentries from the smaller entrance...which you then enter quietly." The krogan drew another thin line, this one moving towards the shorter of the two original ones. "I'm not sure how hard the resistance will be, but I'll try to have the company push forward as much as possible to draw the enemy attention, meanwhile you do what you do best...you know, the whole commando thing..."

Michael nodded, genuinely impressed. "That's a good plan Grunt, we support you from the shadows, you keep them off our backs while we reach the objective..." He looked up, smiling at the Krogan. "...you've learnt well from the battle for the Collector base."

The Krogan smiled back.

"I had a good teacher."

8

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8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being the reave to my warp._


	19. Chapter 19

"That's disgusting."

Taking a moment to regroup after the first cavern – one of many, if Kaidan guessed right – they had entered, the group's eyes rested on James, the marine grimacing as he knelt and grabbed a handful of dirt, gaze on his chest as he rubbed the dust over it. "Shit, not just disgusting, but acidic, took the paint right off my armour! Any more of it and-"

"And it would start burning through the armour." Kaidan finished for the man, taking a step away from the dead creature that had held the line in the cavern while flanked by a few Mauraders and Cannibals, its twin guns having been frightfully close to killing Liara before EDI had put an end to it with a well-placed incineration. "And that wasn't even the acid from the beast itself, but one of those little things, who knows what happens to you if you step to close to one of these things while bursting one of these sacks?"

"I have a pretty good idea..." Michael grunted, nudging the back of the six-legged creature with his foot. "Right, new rule, shoot those small ones the moment they escape the 'mother', I don't want a swarm of them scuttling through cover and onto us without us noticing." Liara visibly shuddered at the words, and Kaidan couldn't blame her, his gaze momentarily moving to glance at the ground, half expecting another of them to appear from the cracks in the ground at any moment.

"Great, now I'm going to be paranoid about those spiders crawling into my bunk." Garrus grunted, shooting Michael a feigned glare. "Thanks for that."

"They _do_ kind of look like spiders...don't they...?" Kaidan pointed out, frowning in worry as he eyed the creature more thoughtfully, then up to Michael, the concern in the man's eyes mirroring Kaidan's own. "Shepard, you think they're based on...Rachni?"

"There's...similarities, yes." Michael grimaced. "The Rachni could shoot acid from a distance, now these things have acid in those sacks of theirs while shooting at us from a distance, six legs, large insects...those eggs we saw before...it adds up, I admit." He shook his head with a snort. "But that doesn't make sense, the Rachni queen said she wouldn't repeat the mistakes of before! Hell, she promised to _help_ us versus the Reapers."

"Perhaps she has no choice?" Liara spoke up, frowning as she stared at the corpse, her initial disgust forgotten. "Didn't she mentioned that the Rachni invaded Council space before due to Reaper interference? Perhaps they were once again 'overwritten' by that 'song' the queen spoke of?"

"This is all supposition." EDI countered, the machine frowning while checking a dent in her left arm caused by a Marauder that had gotten just a bit too close to the synthetic. "Physical similarities is an unreliable marker of descendance, there is no data to support this hypothesis."

"That's the thinking of a machine." Javik growled, glaring at EDI as she scowled back. _Huh, guess Javik still bears a grudge about that synthetic-organic war the previous cycle that he mentioned before, despite it not even occurring during his life-time_._ I suppose his caution and hostility is understandable, hell, __I__ didn't trust the machine before, still don't quite like giving it such free reign_..._curious though, it looks so emotional, glaring at Javik_...

Sighing, Liara shrugged. "Do you have a better hypothesis then, EDI?"

"No."

Shuddering, James shook his head. "All I know is that I now hate bugs...no offence Javik."

The Prothean rolled his four eyes, muttering something under his breath.

"Right, well this is all enlightening and such, but we have other things to do like..." Michael turned to Garrus, nodding at the insectoid. "Garrus?"

"Eh?" The Turian blinked, with such close quarters he had switched his Black Widow for a Saber rifle, its extended barrel and red light making the dark rifle look menacing in the Turian's hands.

"Well _you're_ the guy naming stuff, so name it, I can't well call out for an 'insect-thing' every time one of these things pop up?" Michael chuckled.

Garrus stared at the man for a moment, then looked down at the slain creature, gaze straying to the way the acid from its broken sacks sunk into the ground, a tiny trail of smoke escaping the edges of the newly-made hole. "Ravager? I mean everything it does, either shooting or dying, destroys stuff..."

"Good enough." Michael took a step back, hand moving to his helmet. "Grunt, this is Shepard, we're entered the first chamber, resistance light, we've already bumped into one of these..." He shot Garrus a smirk, which made the Turian sigh. "..._Ravagers_ you spoke of, be careful with them, they are filled with acid and have powerful cannons."

"We've _noticed_." The Krogan growled loud enough for it to be heard by everyone in the cavern. "Our regeneration has already come in handy...that acid tickles, you know." A low chuckle.

"_Right_..." Michael shook his head with a smile. "What's your status?"

"Got through the enemy defences relatively easy, have already rushed through several chambers, two Krogan lost but enemy losses are high." The Krogan grunted. "I don't like it, it's too easy...and now we have a problem."

"Problem?" Michael echoed as Kaidan and Garrus moved closer to listen in, the former forcing himself not to elbow the later as they came shoulder to shoulder while crowding around Michael.

"There's two paths, one leading up, the other down. I can smell husks in both entrances, but I can hear the upper one _crawling_ with the things, the lower one is practically silent...but is also full with those blasted eggs." A pause, a sigh...and then the Krogan continued. "Any ideas?"

"Sounds to me as if whatever we're looking for is further down." Garrus commented.

"Sure, but do we really want to go down with a horde following us? We'd be trapped with no way out." Kaidan countered, frowning at the idea of such a risk.

"These caves are natural formations, there's all manner of nooks and crannies, _and_ we have explosives, we'll find a way past them once we've done our job." Garrus retorted, tone sharper than Kaidan thought necessary.

Turning to the Turian, Kaidan found himself annoyed with the way he had to tilt his head back to look the other man in the eye. "That seems like a unnecessary risk, this isn't a suicide mission, you know."

"Well of course not, I only know of _one_ such mission." Garrus replied, his tone now _clearly_ sharp as he reminded Kaidan of who had been on Michael's quest the longest, making the human narrow his eyes. "And this is hardly a challenge so far, you haven't gotten nervous after working so long with nothing but papers, have you?"

_Why_ _you_...! Kaidan felt his temper flare and stepped forth, chest bumping against Garrus' as the two glared at one another...and then Michael's hands came between them, pushing the two apart. "Enough! _I'm_ in command here!" The Turian and human didn't break eye-contact, weighing one another as their old rivalry resurfaced. "And you _both_ seem to forget something." Huh? Garrus and Kaidan turned their heads to stare at Michael, though both shot the other a glare as they did so. "Grunt said the Reapers come and landed on top of this mountain to pick up these troops, so the troops gathering up there means...?"

Kaidan's eyes widened. "That there'll soon be a Reaper here..." Next to him, Garrus let loose a low curse.

A curse Michael copied as he stepped back. "Dammit! I should have checked the scouts reports to see how often the Reapers showed up...well nothing to do now, we need to push on and get this done _before_ the Reapers arrive." He moved his hand back to his helmet. "Grunt, I'm back, we go down and reach whatever is producing these things." Kaidan shot Garrus an annoyed look at that, but the Turian looked too worried to notice that Michael had chosen his reckless suggestion. "Then leave for the Normandy, and _fast_, I'm worried the Reapers might be coming."

"_What_?" The Krogan growled a curse, then sighed as he grunted out his order. "Well then, don't hold back, boys! _Charge_!" A roar from many voices could be heard, and then Grunt spoke back into the radio. "That goes for you too, Shepard! Or are you slowing down with age?" The last was said with a small chuckle.

"Oh, I'm going to make you _eat_ those words, Grunt!" Michael replied, teeth flashing in a wolfish grin, making Kaidan blink in surprise. _I don't remember him_..._enjoying war so much_. "All right people, move out! On me, James stay close with your flamer and we'll burn a path to our destination." He shot the others an excited look as he rested the crude flame-thrower he had borrowed from one of Grunt's soldiers to battle the webbing in the cave against his shoulder, and to his shame, Kaidan found himself being pulled into the excitement of the coming fight by the man. "Come now, we can't have a a three-year-old beat us, now can we!"

8

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8

"We're holding, Shepard, but there's a _lot_ of these things coming our way, you better get things done, and _quick_."

"Thanks, Grunt, I _think_ I know my objective." Michael grinned. For right now he felt..._alive_. Normally he would have hated going into a battle so unprepared, they barely knew what they were going to _find_, but today he found himself oddly excited by the battle. _Guess the Collector base gave me a taste for it_. Michael grinned, flamer firmly held in his hands as he moved forward, James next to him as the others followed in their wake, weapons at the ready.

It was as it should be, Michael realised. The surroundings didn't matter, for as long as he was fighting the Reapers and their thralls, he felt at home. _It's only been three years_..._yet feels like I've always fought the Reapers_. It was a scary thought, the idea of his world being nothing but to fight the reapers...yet _exciting_ as well. _This is my element. Come Reapers, come and I'll show you how __good I've gotten at my calling_...

Wrinkling his nose, Michael realised the air was getting even more stifling, the stench of sulphur almost overwhelming. "Re-breathers on, we're not taking any chances." As one, the team did as ordered, Michael's helmet's VI also reacted to his words and sealed the helmet with four precise clicks of the re-breather coming into place.

Ahead, the narrow corridor they walked though, hunched forward in order not to hit the low roof or the jagged edges protruding from it, was widening into a chamber, and the echoes of skittering feet told Michael the husks were gathering up defenders there for a not so subtle ambush. _Guess they're too stupid to know to keep quiet_..._hell, given how they were before the Reapers arrival, this is an improvement_. Michael shot James a look, and the marine arched an eyebrow, he too noting the enemy activity.

Michael kept his voice low. "Okay, no time for fancy manoeuvres. Grenades, then charge in and create some space for us to fight in." The others muttered affirmatives even as James and Michael each pulled forth a grenade. "Go!"

The grenades hurtled out before them, Spectre and marine already following, their battle cries echoing through the chamber.

Twin booms, and the world before them turned into a haze of grey dust. Michael ran straight into it though, heart hammering in his chest as he vaulted three shredded Cannibals lying atop one another before swinging his flamer to bear on a hazy figure before him.

With a hiss, the flamer poured forth its content, parting the dust as if it was a veil of fog, revealing a Ravager standing behind a line of the filthy-looking eggs that seemed to be strewn all over the cave. A muffled shriek escaped the Ravager as the flames enveloped it, its sacks bursting with wet pops along with the eggs before it, the tiny creatures within barely having time to squeal before they were charred. The Ravager itself staggered back and despite the flames burning its skin and boiling it within its carapace, it began to bring its twin cannons to bear on Michael...and then fell onto its side, the front right leg shorn off at the knee as the mechanical whir of Garrus' Saber echoed throughout the chamber.

Pouring a final gout of fire into the dying creature, Michael leapt to the left, shoulder smashing into a low wall as he hugged the cover while a torrent of shots tore through the space he had inhabited a moment before as the defenders reacted to the sudden attack.

Jerking his head around, Michael found James scorching another Ravager, pressing the flamer into the soft tissue underneath its sacks and letting the fire pour through its insides while he shouldered it onto its side and ducked down to use it as cover. _Huh, at least the fire seems to boil away the acid. Good to know_...

Behind him, Garrus and Kaidan were moving forth in a crouch, the rapid stream of shots from the latter's Avenger's punctuated by the former's Saber mechanical whirs as the two returned the enemy fire as rapidly as they could to drive the enemy back. A torrent of shots came at them in reply, most for Garrus...only for EDI's powerful shields to shimmer at the synthetic jumped in front of him, Tempest raking left and right.

Liara was running forth as well, the Asari hurling a large ball of dark purple energy forward as the Phalanx jerked in her hand with each shot. Behind her, Javik's Phaeston added to the storm of shots, only to lower it as he began to glow with green biotic power and hurl a dark orb forth with his right hand.

The following blast, as he detonated whatever Liara had set up, sent pebbles raining over Michael and dust billowing in all directions, the enemy fire momentarily slackening as the team spread out and found cover.

"Incendiary, out!" Michael shouted, throwing an incendiary grenade over his cover. "Keep up the pressure!"

"Frag, out!" James answered even as Michael jumped to his feet, flamer spewing out death at a Husk that was just about to leap over his cover. The flames pushed it back though, dropping it onto its back with a dying hiss as its face melted into a pool of steaming black goo.

Further back, two Cannibals that had been caught in the open writhed in agony as Michael's incendiary grenade made short work of them as superheated gas poured into their lungs and into their system...only for James' grenade to land right at their feet.

With a deafening blast, the already dying Cannibals were torn apart, fragments of them becoming burning shrapnel as the superheated gas within them billowed out in a cloud of fire. A singed Cannibal was caught fully in the blast, the creature simply falling onto its face, so scorched it was unrecognisable as the creature it had been before. Three Marauders also staggered, their shields shortening out to stave off the blast. One of them even fell, hands clawing a its throat sliced open by the shrapnel of the blast.

Instantly, a white orb hurtled from Kaidan's omni-tool, the cryo blast hitting the two unshielded Marauders and swiftly freezing them to the spot. Next, the Spectre's arm glowed with biotic power...and the leftmost Marauder was sent flying by a biotic push before shattering into frozen pieces of gore once it hit a wall. EDI too took advantage, an incineration attack striking the remaining Marauder, shattering it and sending a cloud of what remained of Kaidan's freezing solution outwards, the blast catching a Husk that was trying to get past and making it fall prone as it too froze solid.

_We have them now_! Leaping forward, Michael swept his flamer to the left, catching two hissing Husks and making them crumple, clawed hands still reaching for him as their flesh was seared from their bones. James was sensing the same thing, the marine vaulting the remains of the Ravager he'd used for cover before he, with a curse, landed in a depression in the ground he hadn't spotted, the water in it splashing high as a Husk leapt after him only to fall flat on its face as James dodged the creature. Growling something, the marine pushed his boot into the back of the Husk's head, keeping it flailing about as it drowned while its killer swept his flamer about, scorching six small spiders coming at him from the eggs they had just crawled out of.

There were a _lot_ of those eggs.

Too busy fighting, Michael couldn't quite focus on the scenery, but he _did_ see the carpet of eggs ahead, all slowly opening as the spiders within began to crawl out to fight, joining the Cannibals and Husks running between the eggs to reach the group. _Eggs that don't like heat_... "James, follow my lead! EDI, Kaidan, incinerate the eggs ahead!"

Running forward, Michael swept his flame-thrower left and right, searing the nearest eggs and making them explode with wet pops...only for the next line to also explode as the heat reached them. Crawling out of the water, James was moments later at his side, joining him in throwing up a wall of fire before them. Then Kaidan and EDI was there as well, the two hurtling incineration attacks as fast as they could ahead of the flame-throwers.

The carpet of eggs was suddenly a rolling sea of froth as green acid from the exploding eggs preceded the wave of fire just behind it. The first Husks leaping forth, intent on pushing through the fire, jerked back as the acid splashed over them, and with their momentum gone, the flamers made short work of them. Further ahead, the Cannibals tried to give supporting fire, but EDI and Kaidan's incineration attacks were blasting the eggs they were using for cover, making them stumble and hiss as acid splashed over them as well, making them easy prey to the slowly approaching wall of fire.

A blast made Michael stumble, the ground under him shuddering with the force of it as his shields flashed, almost depleted. Looking up, he found a Ravager crawl out of a distant wall to his left, guns trained on him. A moment later Garrus' Saber retorted though, two shots severing two legs...which was enough to make the creature lose its grip on the wall and fall down with a hiss, followed by a wet thump.

Cannibals were also coming out of a crevice on the right, spreading out on a small platform overlooking the cavern, their shots beginning to rain down on Michael's firing line. Yet a moment later they were hoisted in the air, a sickly green shimmer around them. A disgusted snort from Javik, and they were slammed downwards, most missing the platform and ending up crashing into the rocks below with sickly splashes as they burst like rotten grapes. Even those that struck the platform were left unmoving as their bones broke like dry twigs.

Husks were also pouring from another entrance to the group's right, but Liara placed a singularity right in front of it. The dark orb hoisted several of the mindless creatures into the air, but more pushed past its field...before being sent flying as Liara hurled a warp at one of the airborne creatures and detonated the biotic energy holding the creature, as well as the singularity itself, in one gigantic blast.

Ahead, the carpet of eggs was thinning. Two far larger ones right next to a large web at the far side of the chamber exploded outwards to reveal a pair of Ravagers. Curling out to stand on all six feet their bodies were still slick with the contents of their eggs as they hissed and swung their cannons over to aim at the oncoming group. _Shit_. "Garrus!"

"I got it!" Kaidan shouted, arm swinging as a purple haze covered it.

A crack...and the web behind the two Ravagers was torn off the ceiling, the grey tendrils falling down upon the Ravagers. The one on the right turned at the sudden net coming over it, only for its cannons to get stuck in the webbing, making it hiss as it feebly tried to bring its guns to bear once more. The other failed no better as it tried to take a step forward, its leg getting caught in the web and tripping the creature forward with a pathetic shriek.

With the flamers now turning left and right to deal with what few eggs and Cannibals remained, Kaidan ran through the tunnel they had created. His foot came down hard on the leftmost Ravager, keeping it facing downwards as he emptied his Predator pistol into it, his hands nearly a blur as he reloaded before aiming at the other one, emptying another clip as his shots tore one of its guns off and sent the creature reeling back with an agonized shriek.

Taking a deep breath, Michael finally found himself lowering his flame-thrower as he watched Kaidan's omni-tool glow, the incineration attack finishing off the wounded Ravager and setting the webbing covering it aflame, the spreading fire drawing a small hiss from the Ravager at Kaidan's foot, making him stomp down on it a final time.

Silence.

Then Michael grinned, moving up to Kaidan and giving the man a pat on the shoulder. "Nice going there."

"Thanks, it was nothing." The man shrugged, but even behind his re-breather, he was clearly smiling at the praise, making Michael's hand linger on his shoulder.

Garrus coughed, tone annoyed. "A clever trick, I admit..."

"Awww...don't be jealous, buddy." Michael shot the Turian a grin. "I'm sure you would have done the same thing if _you_ had biotic powers." Kaidan chuckled at that, only weakly, but it was _there_.

_Huh, maybe we'll be okay_... Michael smiled.

A smile turning into a concentrated frown as Liara stepped past them, the Asari pointing ahead at the wall behind the web Kaidan had brought down, or at least what Michael _thought _had been a wall. "Look at this, more webbing, a _lot_ of it, in fact. I think there must be something behind it."

"I believe Doctor T'soni is correct, we're roughly at the centre of the mountain." EDI chimed in, the machine looking tense. "Also, the Normandy's long-range sensors are detecting movement around the Mass Relay, if my data on their speed is correct, a small Reaper fleet will be here in fifty-six minutes."

Michael tensed. _Reapers_... For a moment, something rebellious in him wanted him to order them to dig in, to ambush and fight the Reapers once they arrived, to use the Normandy to blast them _apart_...then he gathered his wits. Smiling, he shrugged, ignoring the look Liara suddenly shot him, as if sensing his emotions. "Then we better get this over with, right? We'll bring the Krogan with us, it'll be tight in the cargo-hold, but I think we can manage it, and leave the system the moment we're done." He raised his flamer once more. "James, help me with this, will you?"

As one, the two men levelled their flame-throwers at the thick curtain of webbing and fired. It only took a small burst of it to ignite the thick webbing, but it was enough to make James toss his weapon aside as his ran out of fuel. Michael didn't pay that much heed though, lowering his weapon as he stared at the smouldering fire turning the webbing to ash, revealing...

"Goddess..." Liara breathed, the others staring dumbfounded, lost for words.

The chamber ahead was smaller than the one they had entered, its walls consisting of as much natural formed pillars of stone as it did of thick walls of webbing, the ground pockmarked by depressions, thin smoke rising from the greenish water filling them. The ground also sported four round stumps of Reaper technology firmly rooted in the ground, thick cables shooting out from them, spiralling around one another as they moved upwards...up to the the _Queen_.

The Rachni queen was much larger than when Michael had first seen her, the massive rear part of hers undulating as it disappeared through a thick wall of webbing, no doubt laying more eggs. Her relatively thin waist was held fast by two of the spiralling cables wrapped around her, the other two were in turn wrapped around her neck, holding her firmly in place save for her thin arms hanging meekly from her body. Three purple eyes on each side of her head regarded the group, her strange mouth opening as a weak hiss escaped her. Michael felt his mood sour at the sight of it, eyes narrowing even as they turned to regard one of the puddles of water, not at all surprised when the water there, as with the water in the glass back of Noveria, began to move to give voice to its strange voice. "We remember you, the one with the different song, the one who freed us."

"And I remember _you_." Michael replied with heat, taking a step closer even as James shot him a glance, then the creatures arms...and then took a step backwards. "I remember you were supposed to disappear, rebuild, and then help me against the Reapers, not _aid_ them."

"Michael! She's clearly a prisoner!" Liara shot him an angry look, then turned her gaze to the queen with a worried frown. "Hurt too..."

"Or she tries to pass off as one." Michael replied with a snort, then turned his gaze back to the Queen. "So? Care to explain yourself? Or are the Reapers making it impossible with their 'sour notes'?"

"We are ourselves." Was the low reply, the Queens head turning to gaze at her bindings. "The Reapers called, as they did to the Rachni before us, but we knew of their call, and did not heed it." She reared up as much as her bonds allowed. "We refused to bow to their will."

Michael took another step forward, his anger rising as frustration and guilt gripped him._ All of this is because of me, because I had to save the Rachni, every man killed by a Ravager is __my__ fault_..._because I felt compelled to do the 'right' thing_! _How will I be able to claim that to those who lose their children and parents to those beasts_! _We've already lost a fleet and many Turians to this_! _Because of __me_! His tone was bitter. "Yet here we are again, your 'children' fighting us, death all around us...are you going to try and claim you're an unwitting pawn again?"

"It clearly _is_." Javik grunted, making Michael shoot the Prothean a glare before turning his attention back to the Queen.

"We refused to heed those you call Reapers, but then they came for us..." The Rachni's voice rose, shaking. "Dark ships of agony and hatred found our planet, sending foul creatures of emptiness and rage to search for us. Our children fought, warriors and princes, then workers and drones...all were slain." The Rachni paused, as if trying to calm herself, making Michael tense in irritation. "They feasted on our young, then took us here, laid their hands on us, hurt us with cold steel and dark energies..." The Queen glanced back. "We cannot stop birthing, too many children, none hearing our song, none hearing anything but the sour notes...foul monsters, please-"

"Don't bother asking me to kill them, I'm _already_ doing that." Michael snapped. "As are people on hundreds of worlds by now, I wager! Who knows how many are dying to these things! All because _you-_" _Me_. "-can't defend yourself or hide properly enough! How many will die because _you-_" _I_. "-couldn't do the right thing!"

The others shot him worried looks, but Michael ignored them, pulling his arm free as Garrus moved to grab it, eyes intent on the creature before him.

Again, the Queen rose up as much as her bindings allowed, head held high. "We did all we could, we are not capable of stopping with these bonds of steel and darkness upon us." _You got to be kidding_... Michael growled in anger even before the Rachni could continue. "Release us, and we'll be free, no more children of darkness. Instead they will be beautiful, strong, willing to fight for you, to _help_ you..."

"A sound offer." Javik stated, taking a step forward...and then stopping as Michael shot the Prothean an angry look. _My war, my choice_!

Turning his glare back to the Queen, Michael's voice was cold. "Sounds good, until the next time the Reapers capture you, or whatever they've implanted in you makes you turn on us..." Kaidan glanced at him, making Michael tense up in anger as he realised he was arguing along the same lines as the biotic. _It's different, dammit_! "...or the sour notes get through to you, or you think it's better to join the other side and decide to throw your lot in with the Reapers like the Geth heretics once did!"

"Your words are of hurt, of guilt." The Queen replied, turning her head to look away...and Michael found himself doing the same thing, clenching his flamer in anger. _That's not true_...! "We too grieve those whose song has been silenced, both of our unborn children and of those victims of the abominations we've been made to create..."

"Your-" _My_."-grief doesn't matter!" Michael replied, staring up at the Queen in rage. "Your-" _My_... "-_guilt_ doesn't matter either! You think those that die to these children of yours will care that you-" _I_. "-feel _guilty_ about it! We-" _I_. "-might lose the entire war because the Reapers have Rachni husks now! All because of-" _Me_. "-_you_!"

The others were staring by now, Liara moving closer, tone soft. "Michael..."

He silenced her with a sharp wave of his hand, gaze not moving from the creature.

"Your song is true, and we must atone." The Queen replied after a brief pause, tone weary. "Please, release us, and our every child will help you, we will serve you for the rest of the war, our every child fighting to repay our debt. We too fear the claws of the dark ships, we too fear the silence they bring, we promise that they will never reach us again, that we'd die before becoming their slaves again. If the last of the Rachni must die to repay our debt to you, we will do so."

Silence.

"I..." Michael hesitated, something squeezing his heart tight as he looked down at his feet.

_I remember last time we were like this, you in the lab, begging to be saved for the crimes you weren't responsible for, just as now_..._I remember looking back_...

He looked over at Kaidan, the man offering a supporting nod and a reassuring nod.

_I did it to help you, I really did, not for your help, not for your warriors or workers, just because it was the right thing to do_...

Looking away, Michael once more found himself staring at the ground, mouth a thin line.

_And now people are dead because of it, thousands of them, maybe more. A Turian fleet lost, Krogan soldiers lost, an alliance in peril_..._because_ _of_ _me_.

He sighed, shoulders slumping.

_The right choice_..._isn't always right_.

"I...can't take that risk."

He expected a reaction from those behind him, but there was only silence, the others staring at him. He could _feel_ their disapproval though, Liara's mixed with worry for him, Garrus' respectful of his decision, Kaidan's shocked, Javik's with a frown of disapproval, James stunned...and EDI quiet, unsure. All staring at him.

He ignored them, looking back up at the Rachni. "Not with this much at stake. I can't have you betraying us, unwitting or not, at the worst possible moment..." He took a deep breath, feeling his arms shaking. "...and I can't let the Reapers keep using you..."

Behind him, Liara gasped.

The Queen bowed her head though, her soft words weary. "We understand, we will embrace the silence." It looked up, something in its posture...defiant. "And we will _not_ let the dark ones continue to use us."

"No." Michael agreed and took a shuddering breath, raising his flame-thrower. "We will not."

He squeezed the trigger.

With a roar of agony, the Queen reared, her head snapping back as her bindings held her in place.

_I'm sorry_.

Shrieking in agony, the Queen lunged for him, but her claws were just out of reach as Michael held down the trigger and shook his head. He stared as the flames rapidly consumed the claws and torso of the massive Rachni, yet despite the speed at which the fire ate away at the Queen's flesh, it felt like an eternity as he watched it happen.

_I'm so sorry_...

He blinked, finding tears blurring his vision, shame and guilt tearing at him.

Before him, the Queen reared back once more, her chest covered in fire and smoke as her insides melted, the fire moving up to eat away at her neck and head.

_For all of your slain children, for all those created by the Reapers, for all the suffering they will cause, for you_..._for everything_...

A final shudder...and the Queen collapsed, nothing but a burnt out husk of chitin and ash, empty eyes staring up at Michael.

_I'm sorry_.

Michael let go of the now empty flame-thrower, barely hearing the thud of it hitting the ground as he stared at the dead Queen. He felt..._foul_, tarnished...regret eating at him. _Should never have released you_..._how many deaths will happen because of that_? _The Turian Councillor was right_...

A shudder...and Michael straightened. _I did the right thing_. He eyed the dead creature before him and shivered, heart thumping hard in his chest with guilt._ I __did_...

The silence answering his desperate thought mocked him.

A deep breath...and Michael moved his hand to his helmet, unable to turn, to look at the others. "Grunt, this is Shepard, the target has been dealt with. Withdraw and we'll get picked up by the Normandy." His voice was dull, emotionless.

"Finally." The Krogan growled. "What took you so long?"

"Nothing Grunt, nothing..."

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being Sand to my Sharks_


	20. Chapter 20

"So..._that_ was interesting."

Kaidan shot James a glare, mentally commanding the man to be quiet.

It didn't work, the marine was lounging back in his seat with a frown on his face, not really looking at anything in particular, and _certainly_ not noticing the look Kaidan gave him. "I mean I've _heard_ about the Rachni still being around, but _damn_...who saw this coming?"

Kaidan's gaze worriedly moved over to Michael, finding the Spectre with his back turned towards the rest of the team, a hand on Cortez' backrest as he stared out into the darkness of space, as if able to _see_ the Reapers so far away.

The Normandy was on the ground, picking up the Krogan company and unloading a few non-essentials to make enough room...the whole procedure made all the more difficult by the Krogan having many wounded, and wounded Krogan were _dangerous_.Meanwhile the shuttle and the team aboard it had flown out to keep an eye out for the approaching Reaper fleet as the Normandy's own systems would be disrupted by landing on a world with a strong magnetic field like Utukku. As such, the group was gathered in the small compartment, uncomfortable, wanting rest...and all with thoughts on the mission that would be better dealt with aboard the Normandy and away from Michael's ears.

"You are referring to the enslavement of the Rachni Queen? Or her death?" EDI asked, looking at the marine next to her and making Kaidan wince. James made a vague gesture to imply it all. "I see...I cannot calculate the odds for what has occurred."

"It's not always about odds, you know." Kaidan found himself forced to speak up. "And really, can we talk about this later? Preferably after a _shower_." He shot Michael a worried glance. _Maybe he doesn't care what we think about it, but knowing his mood-swings, it's better not to take any chances_...

"I know what you mean." Liara muttered, sitting to his right, she looked down at her armour, mud having dried upon the white breastplate, a few gouges over her legs showing where a few Husks had been grabbing at her. "There was enough filth on that planet to soak right into my armour."

"Are Asari always so concerned about their appearance? Even in battle?" Javik, sitting on Kaidan's left, snorted, making the Asari in question blush as she threw the Prothean a conflicted look, as if unsure whether to talk back to him or ask a question.

"You don't know the half of it." James chuckled, shooting Liara an amused look. "Anyway, no one has a thought on all of this? We _did_ just destroy an entire race and all." _Oh for_..._James_! Kaidan shot a look at Michael, trying to gain the marine's attention, but to no avail.

"The Cerberus data I have on the Rachni is mostly combat data. However, I _do_ note that while they have strong military capacity if allowed to breed for only a short while, they are in many ways susceptible to manipulation, be it through taking their queens hostage, pheromone treatment or indoctrination." EDI responded, gaze steady as she looked at James."In fact, archaeological data suggests insect life has been the dominating life form in many of our previous cycles, _some_ data suggests this has aided the Reapers since the hive collective of insects is easily preyed upon by indoctrination."

"Yes, you're right." Liara chimed in with a nod. "What I've pieced together suggests that nearly half the cycles have been dominated by some sort of insect, and if so, any such creatures with a hive mind would have been easily defeated when the Reapers took control of the Citadel." She turned her head to look to Javik. "Tell me, did the Prothean-"

Javik frowned. "No."

Liara blinked as she realised the Prothean felt insulted, but EDI was faster. "On topic though, while I believe the offer of the Queen was _sincere_, previous data suggests that she indeed was a risk of becoming an enemy once more, willingly or not."

Kaidan shifted where he sat, annoyed with the direction the conversation was taking. God knew he had an opinion on the matter, but that didn't mean he was about to spout it within hearing distance of a man clearly upset about the whole thing.

Liara though – however empathic she might be with Michael – was also invested in the talks concerning a Queen that had once been rescued just inches from her dead mother, and as such frowned in disapproval at EDI. "That is _irrelevant_. Risk or no, her offer _was_ sincere. And considering previous data about _AI_, like the Alliance AI on Luna and the Geth, I'm surprised that _you_ would suggest acting according to how previous events played out without thinking about the unique situation."

To Kaidan's surprise, EDI looked away, almost looking ashamed. _AI are_..._confusing_. Still, he couldn't help but nod along with Liara's argument, as far as he was concerned, they had just killed an _ally_, however much a risk she might have been. He wasn't about to speak up though.

Then Garrus, sitting on James' other side, leant forward, cocking his head to the side. "I understand what you're saying, Liara, I _do_, and I agree, it was probably sincere and all. It's a shame we lost her, nothing to be happy about, a tough decision..." He glanced over at Michael's back, the Spectre seemingly motionless. "That said...it was probably the safest one." _Oh __now__ you're thinking about safety_! Kaidan bristled remembering all too well how Garrus had argued for them to push on into the den of the Reaper base. Garrus shot him a look, shrugging apologetically. "I mean for the war in general. Think what would have happened if she was a sleeper agent and got to spread her workers over the Crucible and add her soldiers to our ranks? It would have been carnage."

_Fair enough_... Kaidan nodded ever so briefly, shooting Michael's back another glance. _Yes, think of the carnage a sleeper agent could cause_... He shook his head. _No, dammit Kaidan, stop that_!

"Yeah...well...I didn't think that far." James muttered, hands limp in his lap as he shook his head, looking tired. "I for one just try to imagine how it must have felt for the Queen, her children all killed, then the Reapers take her, _experiment_ on her and force her to give birth to a bunch of _monsters_...maybe killing her was the _merciful_ thing?" Another shake of his head. "I mean things like that...think of the scars she'd have."

Kaidan, still tense from Garrus' words, found his mouth moving before he could stop it, his memory of Saren peeling his face resurfacing and making him snap the words. "Scars _heal_." The others in the shuttle looked at him in surprise at the sharp tone, only Liara and Garrus looked away, knowing just what he was talking about.

Kaidan couldn't help but reach up to touch his cheek. The skin grafted onto his face was as real as his old one, after _many_ visits to the doctor it had finally come to look exactly like before. Yet some days it still felt odd...as if he was wearing a mask...and on those days he couldn't bear to look people in eye, the memory of Saren's claws haunting him, making him feel as if his shredded face was clearly visible to all around him. _Yet I'm here, fighting, stronger than before_. Kaidan straightened in his seat.

"She might have suffered from what she had endured, but she would have pressed on. Her body was injured back there, but her _spirit_ wasn't...why else do you think she offered to help us?" Kaidan continued, struggling not to glare at James; it wasn't the marines' fault Kaidan had gotten so upset, after all. "She would have fought to the last to make things up to us, she was ready to do _anything_ for the sake of her people..." Kaidan bit his tongue, realising _who_ such a description fitted all too well...and it wasn't the _best_ moment to remind Michael of _her_.

Both Kaidan, Liara and Garrus turned their heads, looking at Michael in worry, but the Spectre still didn't move. _Whew_..._maybe he can't hear us while so close to the cockpit controls_...?

"I agree." Javik nodded at Kaidan's words, making the biotic arch an eyebrow. _Huh, didn't think him the merciful type_... "Whether the Rachni would have become extinct in the fight or not is irrelevant; what matters is that she would have _fought_." _Ah_..._well_ _that wasn't exactly what I had in mind_. Kaidan shot the Prothean an annoyed look._ Life is more than strategy, it's about being able to look at yourself in the mirror when you wake up, damn it_... "Against the Reapers, we need _every_ weapon available to us, and the Rachni would have been a _potent_ one, not something to squander-"

"_Enough_!"

As one, the crew in the shuttle jumped, the shuttle itself momentarily veering sideways as Cortez got equally spooked.

All eyes turned to the doorway to the cockpit, where Michael had suddenly turned, eyes blazing with a fire that practically made his blue eyes glow...and all under it shirked down in their seats, taken aback by the anger in them. "How many times must I say this! This is _my_ fight! _My_ war! _My_ battle! Every loss and every victory is on _my_ head!" Kaidan shivered, unable to tear his eyes away, frightened yet horrified at the same time. _That's_..._too much of a burden_. "These are my choices, _not_ yours, _mine_! I know these Reapers better than _any_ of you! More than I _want_ to know! _I'm_ the one to stop them, and I'll do it _my_ way! You, _all_ of you, have allowed yourself to be distracted from this war at one point or another!" He pointed an accusing finger at the group, making all look away in sudden shame. "_None_ of you have taken it seriously enough! You go fight crime! The Shadow Broker! _Cerberus_! You flirt with your pilot instead of calculating how to fight the Reapers! You go and take a god-damn fifty millennia long nap _without_ thinking about bringing with you vital intelligence to fight the Reapers with!"

"Well _you_ flirted with-" EDI began.

But Michael was faster, making Kaidan grimace. _It's not about being reasonable, just let him vent_... He shot Garrus a look, finding the Turian nodding, probably thinking the same thing. "This is _my_ war, _my_ decisions, and I will _not_ have them second-guessed by those that haven't done _half_ the things I've done to fight the Reapers!" Michael huffed, lowering his accusing finger as he took a deep breath, voice turning into a hiss. "**I make the difficult choices you ****_never_**** have to make, ****_don't_**** judge me**!"

Silence.

No one dared look up, all staring at the floor, unwilling to draw Michael's ire.

A tired huff, a shuddering breath...and Michael turned back, voice muted, _tired_. "Cortez, take us out of here..."

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Fire.

He stood in it, his skin shrivelling, his blood boiling.

It didn't hurt.

Around him, the darkness was a compact mass, pushing against him, feeding off the flames, slowly draining the light...

Shadowy shapes flickered at the edge of his vision, circling him like hungry sharks...

Looking down, Michael found himself staring at a body of ash, blue veins showing clearly through the broken flesh, throbbing with life...

_No_...

Slowly raising his head, Michael closed his eyes...

And cried out, the agony of the burns suddenly hitting him, making his eyes widen, forcing him to stare at the Rachni Queen suddenly before him. Her eyes were orbs of fire, her flesh aflame as she stared right back at him, her soft voice dripping with venom. "_We refused to bow to their will_..."

_No, no_...

Michael shook his head, but his eyes wouldn't close, wouldn't keep him from staring into the burning orbs as they moved closer.

"_We offered our children, ourselves, our very race_..._was it not enough_?" The tone was accusing now, making Michael try to shirk away, only to find himself unable to move. "_How much is enough_?_ How much blood do you demand of us_? _Why betray us_? _Your song was different...sad, hurt, but strong and kind_..._where did the kindness go_? _Shepard_..."

_I_..._I_ _couldn't do it_. _Not after everything_...

Michael forced his eyes shut.

"_**Look at me**_!" The Queen's command boomed, loud, hateful.

And Michael obeyed, finding himself staring into orbs of fire and blood as the Queen slumped forward, the flames eating away at her flesh.

_I'm so sorry_...

Tali's voice, a whisper, a memory. "_And __the Rachni queen_..._what strategic value is one queen to you in the future_?_ You did it out of mercy_..."

Michael watched in horror as the Queen turned to ash, his body shaking, suddenly cold.

_Mercy got people killed_..._risked the entire war_..._I_..._I__can't__show__mercy_...

Kaidan's voice, angry, resentful. "_Scars__heal_."

_No, no they don't_..._not__truly_...

"_She might have suffered from what she had endured, but she would have pressed on, her body was injured back there, but her spirit wasn't_..."

_Couldn't risk it, God, couldn't risk it_...

"_She would have fought to the last to make things up to us, she was ready to do __anything__ for the sake of her people_..."

Before him, Tali appeared.

_No_..._no__please__don't_...

Taunting his plea, the flames burst forth from her suit, the fire surrounding her like a cloak.

Yet the Quarian just stood there, unmoving, hands held in front of her, head cocked to the side as she burned. "_I love you_..."

_No, no_! _Stop_!

Michael pulled back, defying the darkness holding him, _refusing_ to be forced to watch, to _endure_.

Stumbling back on the burnt stumps that were his feet, Michael fell backwards...and continued falling, the darkness around him never-ending.

He closed his eyes.

And his own voice, a whisper, a memory, hissing in anger at his friends. "_I make the difficult choices you __never__ have to make, __don't__ judge me_!"

_I_..._I__didn't mean it_...

Then Benezia's voice, angry, arrogant. "_I made the difficult choices you could __never__ have, __don't__ judge me_."

_No_..._no_..._I'm__not__like__her_...

Then a cool hand landed on his scorched cheek, making him open his eyes.

Tali was a mere inch from him, her mask gone, large eyes sadly smiling, her lips moved, yet the words were a distant whisper. "_No, Michael_..._you're a good man_."

Michael found his lips trembling, tears streaming down his broken skin.

_I'm_..._not sure I believe you any more_.

Another sad smile...and Tali's face was eaten away by the flames.

"Ah!"

Sitting up straight, Michael stared at the wall ahead of him, eyes wide and chest heaving with quick breaths as panic squeezed his heart tight.

He could see his feet underneath the sweaty sheet, _whole_.

Turning his wide eyes to the left, he found his table strewn with datapads with reports and strategic data on the war, a plate with his half-eaten rations balancing atop the pile.

_Damn, God_..._I_...

Michael's gaze moved to the right, wide eyes taking in the sight of the aquarium built into the wall, the fishes there slowly swimming around, not bothered by their owner or anything but their own little world...

_Okay_..._they're in my room_..._I'm__ in my room_...

With a slow exhale of relief, he found his hammering heart slow down as he blinked, suddenly realising his eyes hurt. Groaning, his hands moved up, rubbing his tired eyes, briefly wondering how much he'd actually _slept_, rather than tossing back and forth with his nightmare.

_Eugh_..._can't I get just __one__ good night's sleep_...?

Rolling out of bed, Michael's hand moved to rub his forehead, then joined the other to the waistband of his boxers as he made his way to the bathroom. _Cold shower again, it seems like_... "EDI, please ask Doctor Chakwas if she can't prescribe something stronger to put me to sleep." Stepping out of his underwear, Michael tossed them into the bin as he entered the bathroom, a fresh pair already waiting on him on a hook, he was nothing if not efficient when it came to his morning routine.

"Considering your soldier boosts from the Alliance are designed to prevent that, as well as the Cerberus implants, Doctor Chakwas has calculated that while the current medicine isn't efficient, any more could be dangerous." The AI calmly rebuffed him.

"Just ask her." Michael replied, surprising himself by not snapping the words._ Guess I'm getting used to this_..._is __that a bad sign_?

He stepped into the shower and activated it just as the AI replied. "Yes, Shepard."

_Cold_!

Nearly jumping, Michael forced himself to stand still as the water poured down on him, making his skin prickle and his body to tingle as it fully awoke, his nerves tickling his body into action, making weary muscles once more fresh and ready for action. _That takes care of that_..._hope we're nearing Tuchanka_..._and that Mordin is ready, not to mention needing to get these Krogan off my ship, EDI has already complained about dented bulkheads_...

Stepping out of the shower, making the water instantly stop, Michael's hand moved to the right, hovering over a small control and making a small slot slide open, revealing a steaming hot towel that he grateful took to pad himself down with. _Ah_..._much __better_. Michael smiled, but it was a weak smile, even now his dream haunted him, _mocked_ him.

Then EDI's voice once more reached him. "Shepard, Liara T'soni is here to see you, shall I tell her to wait?"

"You didn't wait with Traynor, did you?" Michael smirked, sensing the AI being about to apologise for that event with him being shirtless with the woman. "Don't worry about it, just send her in." He tossed the towel into the bin after his underwear, grabbed the new pair and slid them on before pulling his robe off its hook and wrapping it around him. It wasn't exactly correct to see his crew like that, but by now they, _especially_ those that had been with him since the beginning, were family.

Though when he stepped out of the bathroom and turned to face a Liara walking in, he almost regretted the decision at the sight of the Asari's eyes widening before with a blush she turned her head away. "Michael...I didn't realise you were...busy."

Michael chuckled. "Relax, Liara, it's okay." _Funny how she's the member of a species thinking it natural to spend your early years as a stripper while she herself is so proper_... Nearly snickering, Michael brushed past Liara and gestured for the couch he was moving for. "Come in, have a seat."

Following his lead, even to the point of sitting down at the same time as him, Liara still looked slightly over his shoulder, as if afraid to look at him. _Heh_... "Thank you, that's very kind..."

"Offering a seat on this _massive_ couch is kind?" Michael arched a teasing eyebrow, making Liara finally look at him, eyes flashing with mild annoyance. Michael shrugged, smiling. "So what's up? You're not usually one to come by just to chat about nothing."

"Well..." Liara started awkwardly, hand moving up to rub her neck, blue eyes giving a careful look. "...I was worried that you might be...sleeping poorly."

Michael blinked, taken completely by surprise. Then he grimaced and finding it _his_ turn to turn his gaze away. _She knows me too well_...

"Figured you could use some company, get distracted for a bit..." Liara chuckled awkwardly. "...frankly I could use the distraction myself, not sleeping too well either, and my work is...draining."

Michael held back the question about to slip through his lips. _I don't want her asking about my dreams, I shouldn't bother her about hers_._ In fact, she has a point_... Instead, he offered a friendly smile, gaze finally moving down to spot the strange thing Liara was holding. "Okay then, distract me. I promise to pay attention with whatever marvel you've cooked up this time."

The Asari rolled her eyes at his teasing, hand hovering over the black...box? Before Michael's eyes, a pale blue light began to shine in its centre though, revealing it to be a computer. _Large computer by today's standards though_..._what is she up to_? "It's a time capsule."

"A...time capsule?" Michael frowned, confused, yet intrigued. "I'm...not sure where you're going with this."

"It's a computer containing every translator and linguistic program I could find. The rest is data, properly archived for presentation as well as research about...well...everything someone in the future might need." Liara shrugged, eyes soft as she gaze down on the machine. "Of the cycle of extinction, of the Reaper's capabilities and design, what they do to us, how they do it, their plans, of the Crucible and its function. I'll even update them with a chronicle of our war versus the Reapers...if things go poorly."

Michael found himself going very still, his gaze fixed on the little computer, something warm shaping deep in his chest. His voice was but a croak. "Them?"

"I've created many copies and had my agents distribute them across the galaxy on planets supporting organic life without actually containing anything sentient." Liara replied, words without even a hint of pride, despite the work it must have entailed. "Given time, they'll be discovered by those that might come after us...and prepare them. It's not the Prothean beacons, but _simpler_...I think that might actually be a strength."

Michael just stared at the computer, lost for words. _I_..._they'll __know of it all, they'll be presented with facts, __without__ it being visions nobody might believe_..._they'll get the warning and_..._and_...

Awkward in the wake of his silence, Liara continued. "I'm...well I'm an archaeologist, so I know how to make it safe from the wear of time, to still function...I've also made sure they're pretty easy to find...the Reapers won't go to a planet without sentient life, so they won't find it, but others will...and...well..."

Michael found his lower lip trembling._ And defeat the Reapers in the next cycle_..._it has to, no it __must__ be enough_..._no matter what_..._we'll end up beating them_...

"Michael? Are you okay?"

Silence.

Then Liara gasped in surprise as Michael lunged at her, arms wrapping tightly around her as he held her tight, making her gasp once more as the hug drove the air out of her lungs.

He didn't care though, he held her tight, feeling her tense against him even as his head rested on her shoulder, eyes squeezed tight as he struggled not to cry, struggled and _failed_...

Finally, he managed to whisper the words Liara deserved, the truth. "This is...the best gift I've _ever_ gotten...thank you."

"I..."

Liara finally relaxed in his arms, her hands slowly moving up to hug him back, voice soft.

"...you're welcome."

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for always making the ti__me._


	21. Chapter 21

"Say that again?"

Leaning over the holographic projector dominating the war-room, Michael's gaze was fixed on the small hologram of the 'pawn' that EDI usually manifested as while they had been hunting the Collectors, her physical body wasn't needed after all...and she preferred to keep that near Joker.

If the situation hadn't been so serious, Michael might have snickered at that.

The room had a dark gloom to it to make the images of the holographic map crisper, though currently nothing was showing on it as Michael waited for EDI's response.

He wasn't alone.

To his left Garrus stood, the Turian looking equally troubled as he eyed EDI's hologram. And to his right Kaidan stood, the man leaning back on his heels, stroking his chin with a thoughtful frown.

His advisers, Michael supposed...making him grimace. _Really should apologise for yelling at them about not doing enough, they didn't deserve that_..._eugh_, _later_...

Further to the left, facing the circular holographic projector, Victus stood, the Primarch looking concerned, but calm.

Wrex was standing opposite the Turian. Having just recently arrived on a small freighter, the Krogan looked testy, constantly walking back and forth on his little spot, eyes narrowed at EDI's hologram. Next to him, Grunt stood, the younger Krogan far calmer, which wasn't surprising given that he was less concerned about the Genophage and its cure than Wrex was.

At the other side of the table, facing Michael, Mordin stood, the Salarian looking a bit tired, but smiling as he leant heavily on his cane. _Damn, don't think he's slept since we picked him up, even for a Salarian, that's pushing it_...

"Please hold, scanning..." EDI replied, as calm as only an AI could be. "The Shroud facility is under Reaper control, the Normandy's sensors have picked up two Reaper Destroyers on the ground next to it, as well as supporting infantry; mostly Cannibals and Marauders."

Before them, the holographic map activated, showing the long and smooth shape of the Shroud facility, the ground around it dotted with what seemed to be ruins of some old city, though very little of it remained. While the buildings were blue, the two Reapers, large enough to match the shroud facility in height, were of a deep red. As were multiple dots around the ruins below, representing Reaper infantry. Scattered in what could only be a defensive formation.

"Damn." Wrex grunted, sounding more annoyed than worried. "There has been some Reaper activity on the planet, just a few husks, but not there specifically...obviously a feint to throw us off where they were."

"Agreed." Victus nodded, frowning as a hand moved up to stroke a mandible. "But why are they there? What are they doing?"

"_Still_ scanning." EDI replied, making Turian and Krogan alike shoot the hologram an annoyed look. "The Shroud facility has been activated. However, it's not cleaning the atmosphere as it was designed to, but rather dispersing a chemical compound consisting of roughly two-hundred different substances, all considered dangerous or lethal to Krogan physiology."

"_What_!" Wrex snapped out the question, barring his teeth as he stared down at the map, as if his glare was enough to tear the Reapers on it apart.

"I'm hypothesising that once enough of the compound is in the atmosphere, its effect will be felt on all of Tuchanka, All Krogan will either suffer or die from liver and lung-failure...with that hypothesis in mind I'm estimating, considering the amount already in the atmosphere...that it will roughly take two days for this to occur." If EDI found this upsetting, her tone didn't give it away.

Grunt shrugged. "Figures, they don't want to tangle with us in a real fight, so they try to poison us when our attention is elsewhere."

"Yeah, but we aren't going to let them..." Wrex growled, red eyes aglow with a defiant fire as they stared down at the Reapers on the map.

"An air-strike might be enough to stop this." Garrus suggested, arms crossed over his chest. "Have the Normandy blast the Shroud tower, no tower, no poisoning, the Krogan can take care of the Destroyers after that, if the Reapers decide to stay." Wrex shot the Turian a glare making Garrus shrug. "What?"

"We _do_ have a schedule to keep." Kaidan muttered, giving the Turian a neutral look. "No tower, no quick dispersion of the cure."

Garrus grunted in annoyance at that, but nodded none the less, admitting that Kaidan had a point.

_Hmmm_..._still_ _worth_ _looking_ _into_. "Mordin." Michael turned to the Salarian. "How long would it take to spread the cure without the Shroud facility?"

The Salarian put his hand against his chin, finger taping against his mouth for a moment before he spoke. "Hmmm...many variables, population dispersed across large area, distrustful of Salarian science, heavily armed, numerous and our resources for dispersal is limited." A sniff. "Two months."

Michael raised an eyebrow, but Wrex was quicker, the railing around the holographic map creaking as the Krogan gripped it tighter. "That's _not_ an option, the Genophage is cured _today_."

Michael sighed. He knew the Genophage was a sore spot for Wrex, but the Krogan was making it difficult to be flexible. _Then again, I don't have that kind of time, and Wrex won't move his troops without the cure given to all Krogan_..._might_ _as well kill two birds with one stone_. "Agreed, we need to disperse this cure fast. Besides, if we get it through we can destroy the Shroud facility at the same time and make the Reaper's mission of poisoning the Krogan impossible."

"Facility has self-destruct procedure, intended to stop something like this." Mordin chimed in. "We upload cure, activate self-destruct, cure in spores will be dispersed by facility as well as explosion."

"So that just leaves the little problem of killing two Reapers..." Grunt growled, grinning at the thought of the battle to come.

"Not necessarily." Wrex replied, frowning at the map. "We just need to get them away from the facility." He shrugged. "We get the cure out, that's the top priority...then I'll marshal the clans and kill those two things, they might be tough, but they can't resist the united Krogan."

Victus' brow rose as he appraised Wrex. "Yes, focusing on our primary objective is imperative...I'm surprised Wrex, I figured you'd want them destroyed instantly."

"Ah, because Krogan can't do subtle?" Wrex replied, chuckling slightly and throwing Garrus a glance as Victus shifted. "You Turians always think you're the only ones with a mind of military thinking..." Garrus chuckled, probably remembering an old elevator ride even as Wrex turned his attention to Michael. "Anyway, I'll defer to the one with the most experience handling the Reapers, and if I know him right, the one that'll _personally_ deliver the cure."

Michael grinned at that even as Garrus arched his brow. "Oh? No delivering it yourself?"

"Nah, and risk getting killed?" Wrex chuckled at the other's surprised stare. "Me dead would split the clans. If this wasn't that big, then yeah, I'd throw myself into the fray, but I'm old enough to know when to hold back."

"Leave me to do the dirty work, eh?" Michael grinned at the Krogan, something Wrex eagerly returned in kind. "Wouldn't be the first time, I suppose..." He grunted, shifting where he stood as he eyed the map before him. "As you said, we only need to draw them off...that said, what resources can we get for an attack on them so quickly? Grunt, is your company recovered enough to fight?"

"Of course, eager, even." Grunt replied, then glanced over at Wrex. "And when I tell them what's at stake...well you won't find a harder-fighting company than them in the galaxy, I promise you that."

Michael nodded, knowing all too well how much the Krogan hated the Genophage as he turned to Wrex. "Wrex?"

"As the Salarian said, the clans are spread out over a large area, the nearest clan, and only one close enough to even matter, is _Wreav's_." Wrex grimaced in irritation.

"Wreav?" Kaidan echoed, sounding as puzzled as Michael felt over Wrex's reaction.

"Urdnot Wreav, my _half_-brother." Wrex shook his head, grimacing. "His clan is smaller than mine, yet still claim the Urdnot name, simply to spite me, I wager. He's smart enough not to make me his enemy, yet too _dumb_ to realise the Krogan need to change...he'll not take kindly to _you_, Salarian, and he will make himself a headache." The Krogan shrugged. "That said, he won't back out of a fight, especially one involving curing the Genophage."

"Change?" Mordin perked up, both hands on his cane as he straightened his back.

"Yeah." Wrex didn't even glance at the Salarian, eyes on the map. "You think we can go on as we have after the cure? All we'll get is more war and death. Either we'll be sterilised or worse again, or we'll kill and then destroy ourselves and the galaxy in needless wars." He shook his head, eyes downcast. "No, things need to change, we're better than that, better than the rubble and bones we leave in our wake. There's more to the Krogan than violence, and I'll _make_ my people see that again."

Without the Krogan even noticing it, Mordin began to smile.

Wrex then loudly straightened his back, growling. "That said, Wreav's base is still far away. All he'll be able to get here in within a reasonable time frame is his Tomkahs; and all the troops he can fit into them...maybe two hundred men? Luckily for us, the man loves his heavy weapons, not sure what good it'll do against a Reaper, but there we have it."

_Good, I can work with that_. Michael turned his head to the other side of the map. "Victus, the Turians have a fleet in the system, right?"

"Yes..." Victus turned his head to shoot Wrex an annoyed look as the Krogan growled in irritation about how his people were essentially quarantined. "...a small fleet with a small Carrier, nothing fancy since most was sent to Palaven a few days ago. The Carrier isn't even holding any upgraded fighters, no Thanix Cannons on them, just a few Javelins along with the normal mass accelerator cannons. I hate to repeat Wrex, but I'm not sure how much damage they'd do even _with_ Thanix Cannons. Previous engagements have not been...encouraging."

"It's more than we had a minute ago." Michael nodded, then turned his attention to the smaller hologram in the room. "EDI, do you have a collation of Turian and Alliance combat data against these Reapers?"

"I have, as well as your own combat data versus the Proto-Reaper on the Collector base and the engagement with Sovereign." EDI replied. "The Reaper's primary defence is their near impenetrable shields. Only Destroyers shields have shown themselves penetrable to Thanix Cannons however, and then only if it's a frigate or _several_ fighters. No data on cruiser-fitted Thanix Cannons available. A Dreadnought sized Reaper needs to be fired upon for extensive periods even by a ship as energy-efficient as the Normandy for their shields to be penetrated." EDI paused, letting the words sink in. "Following that, the Reaper armour is an amalgam of organic and non-organic material that is not only extremely resistant to damage, but also self-healing; a blast penetrating the Reaper's shield would still need to hit a soft spot between the armoured parts to be effective, as the previous Normandy did against Sovereign three years ago."

"Heh, sounds like a challenge." Grunt chuckled, drawing a grin out of Wrex even as Victus remained silent, frowning in worry.

"Offensively the Reapers rely on an energy weapon similar to but more efficient than the Thanix Cannon, each hit capable of destroying a similar sized vessel. Their Destroyers can also destroy far larger vessels given the opportunity. These cannons are also capable of destroying entire detachments of troops if they are not properly spread out." EDI continued, voice monotone. "However, combat-data from Shepard's fight with a Proto-Reaper, as well as the Reaper's way of shielding these cannons when not firing, suggests that these points are vulnerable. Considering the massive amounts of energy gathering in them, this is not surprising."

_Nothing new then_. Michael frowned even as Grunt chuckled. "So...shoot the glowing part? Sound tactical advice there, machine-lady."

"It's not without merit." EDI pointed out. "In fact, considering the power of their cannons, data suggests that the Reapers need to diminish the power of their shields by ten percent when firing, so as to not overload them by the energy of the blast getting 'caught' in their shield. This means that at the point of firing they are vulnerable..." A pause. "...relatively speaking." Another pause. That-"

"Was a joke, we get it." Michael sighed, drumming his fingers on the railing as he eyed the map, his plan slowly taking form. "All right, drawing them away it is, though if we kill one or both, I won't shed a tear." The thought made his reluctance evaporate, a grin slowly forming on his face. "Dead Reapers are _always_ a bonus."

Kaidan and Garrus shot him a curious look at that, the later speaking up. "I suppose these troops are the diversion then? And we're set to go to the hot spot? As _usual_?"

Michael chuckled at the quip. "Right you are, my friend." He gestured at the far end of the map. "We deploy Grunt and his men here, to converge with Wreav and his men, they'll move up towards the Reapers in a skirmish formation while Victus' fighters come in and hit the Reapers. They won't be able to resist attacking..." _I know them_. "...to kill more of us. They move up into this open space to fight us; while they do that me and my team drop down via shuttle near the tower with Mordin and clear out any stragglers there before moving to the tower proper."

"That will leave a lot of dead with those sent to distract them..." Kaidan pointed out with a frown, glancing over at Grunt and Wrex.

_Of course you would note that part_... Michael sighed, but didn't say anything, Kaidan _was_ right, after all.

But Grunt just snorted. "Krogan aren't afraid of dying, human. We'll do our part."

"As will we, of course." Victus replied, standing straight with his hands behind his back.

A grunt escaped Wrex, the Krogan eyeing Victus with reluctant respect, then he turned his gaze to Kaidan. "Don't worry, this is to cure the Genophage, any Krogan would be willing to sacrifice their life for that."

"That's what I worry about..."

Kaidan muttered the words, but Michael forced himself to ignore him, casualties were inevitable in war, Michael had learnt that lesson the hard way. So instead he nodded at the map. "Good, then that's the plan, we can even have the Normandy assist with her firepower, Joker's been itching to kill himself a Reaper, after all." _As have I_... Michael squashed the rage suddenly building within him with an effort of will. "But the priority is the Shroud facility." He looked up, gaze sweeping over the group before him, only now realising he was essentially telling the leader of two people what to do. _But who else_? _Story of my life_... "Agreed, gentlemen?"

"Agreed." Victus nodded, straightening. "We'll give you the time you need."

While Grunt simply pounded his fists together in eagerness, Wrex had an intent glint in his eyes and a grin on his face as he eyed Michael. "Agreed, Shepard, today, we'll change history."

Silence.

The moment setting in the room, making everyone stand taller.

Michael felt a shiver run down his spine.

_Today, the Krogan get a second chance_.

Then EDI, unaffected by such feelings, spoke up. "Shepard, you have a call in the communication room."

Grumbling, Michael saw the others flinch and frown, realising that they had a quite an obstacle ahead before they could celebrate such a change to galactic history. _But we'll manage it, I'll __make__ it __so_. "Very well, we all have our assignments, time to make the calls; we engage as soon as possible."

Turning, he marched for the Com-Room.

8

8

8

"Dalatrass Linron...?" Michael blinked, surprised at the sight of the hologram before him. "I...did not expect to see you..." _Dammit, EDI, I need warnings about these things_...

As with how she looked in real life, it was impossible to tell if the Dalatrass was male or female, though Michael supposed the voice was more feminine...if only just. She was dressed in the usual robes of her station, and had her hands hidden in its sleeves as she put them together. "I can imagine, but it's important to contact you now that I hear you're approaching Tuchanka. We need to talk."

_Spying on me, are we_? Michael nearly rolled his eyes, realising it wasn't necessary. After the battle of the Citadel, his death, resurrection and saving of hundreds of human colonists, he was more than a little famous, and there were far too many who wrote about and videotaped it when the Normandy arrived in a system. "Actually...that's not such a bad idea..." Michael found himself suddenly smiling. "...we have a thing I need to discuss with you too."

The Salarian blinked, apparently baffled. "Oh?"

"Yes, you know, I've been thinking..." Michael paced the small room, but his smile remained on the Salarian, a predatory glint in his eyes. "Some of my friends couldn't help but wonder _why_ Cerberus would attack us on Sur'Kesh...but the answer is obvious. They don't like anything that strengthens non-humans, so the idea of a cured Krogan species isn't desirable for them, not to mention that they are trying to sabotage my attempts to form a large alliance in fear of me sending what's left of humanity to its death..." Michael grimaced, feeling a tiny flicker of uncertainty about his motivations for risking that, only to squash it. _I'm right, there's no other choice_. "What I'm more curious about is _how_ they did it...aren't you?"

The Dalatrass crossed her arms over her thin chest, leaning back on her heels, defensive. "They have impressive resources, I admit."

"Sure, more so than I had expected." Michael admitted with a shrug, still pacing the room. "But no matter how many resources they have they can't perform miracles. How _did_ Cerberus reach Sur'Kesh so soon? We were already in the system, despite the delays your administration _unfortunately_ suffered from at the time, they _surely_ shouldn't have been able to catch up to us..." Michael paused, arching an eyebrow at the Dalatrass stiff posture. "Unless they already had a base in your system."

"Be careful Shepard." The Dalatrass narrowed her eyes, shifting where she stood, irritated. "I don't care for insinuations."

Michael ignored her as he resumed his pacing, smiling softly, as if amused. "But how can that be? _Surely_ the famous STG wouldn't miss a Cerberus base on their own territory, no matter how hidden it is...I mean it's not like you _allowed_ them to stay, right?" He chuckled mirthlessly at that, eyeing Linron carefully as the corner of her lip twitched. "And even if they managed that, how could they have known of our mission so quickly to send a detachment of troops to stop us? I mean the logistics alone means they must have scrambled like crazy to manage it, but even so, I'm surprised they managed it at all."

By now, Linron's eyes were narrowing in hostility. "I fail to see where this line of thought is carrying you, or what point you have to make, _Spectre_."

"Just...humour me." Michael raised a palm to quiet the Salarian, softly smiling as his pacing continued. "And then there's the planet-wide blackout of all communications on the planet...how could _Cerberus_ manage to silence the communications of a race _priding_ itself in their intelligence and security measures? Hell, they not _only_ knocked out the communications just in time for their assault, but even managed to shut of an individual elevator in a military facility they had yet to _reach_, just to keep us from escaping that way. How could there be such a _huge_ security leak within the Salarian administration to allow this?" Michael chuckled. "And heck, if they could manage _that_, why hadn't they prepared a larger force beforehand? Used this leak to its full potential by launching several forces to hit more of your facilities to acquire technology and information? Surely the base we visited wasn't the _only_ one with sensitive information?" He shook his head. "It's just so..._convenient_. If I didn't know better I'd say they were _allowed_ to do this...even _invited_..." Suddenly turning his head, he glared at the Dalatrass, dropping his mask of humour to reveal his anger. "...but you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

The Dalatrass took one uncertain step backwards before finding her balance, her face crunching up in a scowl. "As I said, I don't care for insinuations. And you're insulting me, it's _my_ men that died back on Sur'Kesh, not yours."

"Sacrifices must be made for the greater cause, isn't that how you people think?" Michael shrugged, not taking his gaze off the Salarian. "I'm just thinking about that secretary of yours back on Sur'Kesh, so _conveniently_ placed to delay me with yet more paperwork...and maybe a virus for that elevator?" Michael arched his eyebrows at the impassive Dalatrass. "And wouldn't it _also_ have been convenient if Cerberus had succeeded? A few dead Salarians, and not _only_ would there be no cure for the oh so dangerous Krogan...but it would have been an act committed by _terrorists_. No Turian or Krogan could have faulted the Salarians for _that_, now could they?" Michael's lips curled into a wolfish grin, but his eyes were intent on the Dalatrass, piercing her gaze and making her look away, shuffling to the side as she did so.

"I...that is _preposterous_." Linron hesitated, her robes moving as she took a deep breath, and then she forced her gaze back to Michael. "And _insulting_, you have no proof, I'll make sure the Council hears of these outrageous allegations."

"I'm sure you will." Michael dryly retorted, not in the least intimidated, then he chuckled. "That said, it's just me thinking out loud, as you say, I have no proof..." He narrowed his eyes at the Salarian. "...but you better watch yourself after this."

Silence.

The Dalatrass' mouth opened, but no words came as her eyes widened in fright.

Then she shook her head, hands moving up to nervously smooth her robe. "Stop your meaningless attempts at intimidation, I'm not frightened."

"I'm sure." Was Michael's dry reply...only for him to offer a grim smile. "Now, what did _you_ want to talk about?"

"The Krogan."_ Of course_... Michael sighed even as the Salarian before him straightened herself, more at ease as the conversation moved in the direction she desired. "I'm here to ask you a final time to reconsider, the Krogan will bring us nothing but misery."

"And the Reapers will bring us nothing but _death_ if we don't get the Krogan and Turians into this alliance." Michael snorted. "You might fear another Krogan rebellion, hell, you might be _right_ to do so, but even if I believed that would happen, I'd still cure them."

Linron narrowed her eyes. "You and your foolish righteous-"

"Righteousness!" Michael laughed at her. "You think I'm taking a moral stance here! Yes, I'd _love_ to see the Krogan cured, to see me doing something that _doesn't_ lead to more death for once!" Michael grimaced, tasting his own words, they weren't wrong... "But do you _really_ think that's why I'm doing this? You fear the Krogan, you _should_ be fearing the Reapers, and I'll _gladly_ risk a Krogan rebellion if it means the defeat of the Reapers."

"And what of us Salarians?" Linron retorted, her mouth a thin line, yet something in her eyes showing more than simple anger. "If you pursue this, I _promise_ you that you will get no Salarian aid. Our _undamaged_ fleets, our _STG_, even our _scientists_, known as the _best_ in the world, won't come to build your Crucible if you do this."

"You can't do that!" Michael snapped before he could control himself, the smug look on the Dalatrass face making anger flare within him as he took a deep breath to steady himself. "The Reapers will wipe us _all_ out if we don't work together...it'll be the end of us all."

"So _you_ say." The Salarian snorted. "I _know_ what the Krogan are capable of, the only thing saying the Reapers will be worse is _you_...and I don't believe it." Linron eyed him steadily, now calm and in control of the situation.

Michael blinked, then glared at the Salarian. "You say that now, but just you wait until the Reapers start pushing on your borders in earnest, then you will come crawling to me. That _I_ promise _you_."

"Maybe you're right, I _doubt_ it, but suppose you are..." Linron was smiling, and Michael didn't much care for it. "Can you really risk it? To lose so much time? So many skilled workers for your project? So many ships and intelligence operatives?"

Silence.

Michael glared at the Salarian, who evenly looked back.

_I can't risk the Krogan and Turian support, one doesn't have a fleet and the other might be mauled, but both are still more important than the Salarians_..._yet all those scientists, all those ships_..._lost like that_... Michael grimaced. "I'm..._truly_ sorry, Dalatrass, but if that's how you feel...I can't help you." It felt like a blow to the gut, but Michael had no choice in the matter as he turned to walk away...

"There _is_ another way..."

_Huh_? Michael turned, eyebrow shooting up as he stared at the Dalatrass, the woman now clearly smiling.

Putting her fingertips together in front of her, face, the Salarian eyed him intently. "I won't deny it, this Reaper invasion has gotten me nervous, nor will I deny that your plan on how to deal with them is the _only_ one that seems to have a chance at fighting them...at least so far." She narrowed her eyes. "That said, I will _not_ pay the price of a new Krogan rebellion for a chance at stopping the Reapers, not when other options might present themselves." Michael opened his voice to protest, but Linron was faster. "Yet I believe you can...how do humans say it...have your cake and eat it too?"

Michael felt a sour taste in his mouth now, suspicion growing in his stomach as he eyed the politician. "What do you have in mind?"

The woman spoke far too swiftly, obviously eager to lay out her plan, to stem what she thought a great mistake. "The Shroud facility has a self-destruct, as I'm sure you're aware, and I'm also aware of what the Reapers are doing there."

"You _know_ of it?" Michael interrupted, staring at the Salarian as anger made his hands close into fists. "For how _long_ have you known of this? Did you hope they would kill the Krogan before we could cure them?"

The Dalatrass casually waved the question aside, making Michael bristle. "That's not important, what _is_ important is that you can activate the self-destruct to deny the Reapers access to the Shroud facility..._without_ dispersing the cure. Make a big show of it, but hide what you're doing." She smiled, making Michael take a step closer to the hologram in outrage. "Make the Krogan _believe_ the cure has been dispersed, according to Mordin it'll take a few months for it to take effect anyway, long enough for you to have your army...do this, and I will have my people aid you, but _only_ if you do this." The smile turned cold. "And _don't_ try to trick me, I _will_ know if the cure is dispersed or not."

Michael just stared at her.

_I can't believe it_...

"You...you _knew_ of the Reapers on Tuchanka, you were ready to allow _genocide_ to stop us from curing the Krogan..." Michael found himself hissing the words, his hand moving up to tap his chest. "You allowed _Cerberus_ to attack your own base, to nearly kill me _and_ my friends, just to stop the cure..."He shook his head, unable to wrap his head around it. "...and now you want to cut a _deal_ with me!" He took a quick step forward, hand shooting out to point an accusing finger at the hologram, wishing nothing more but to throttle the woman. "_Fuck_ _you_!"

The Dalatrass said nothing, crossing her arms over her chest as she frowned at him.

"You think I'm going to _agree_ to such a deal! You've tried to have me _killed_! You tried to get my _friends_ killed! You were ready to sacrifice the Krogan! And now you want me to betray Wrex and Grunt, not to mention Mordin! My _friends_!" Michael stared at the Salarian, baffled by the sheer audacity of the attempt. Then a finger shot up in a gesture he hadn't performed in years. "I say again, _fuck_ _you_!"

Silence.

Then the Dalatrass, still with her arms across her chest, spoke, her voice calm. "You said you didn't do this out of righteousness, but to beat the Reapers-"

"That doesn't mean I'm a _monster_!" Michael roared back, glaring at the Salarian. "These are my friends we're talking about! I have their back, and _nothing_ you can say or do will make me change my mind!"

Again, silence followed his words.

The Dalatrass gaze was steady, voice even more so. "Then you will not receive any Salarian aid for your war."

"Don't be a fool! We will all die if we don't all work together! You fear tomorrow bringing a Krogan rebellion! But if we don't win this, there won't _be_ a tomorrow!"

"So you say." Linron replied, calm, in control. "But this is my final word."

"I..."

Michael paused, finding himself shaking as he glared down at the floor, fists pressing into his thighs as he struggled not to launch himself at the hologram.

He found his own words on Mars haunting him. "_If it takes sacrificing Earth, so be it_." He shuddered. "_All__ else is secondary_."

It was the _truth_, all else _was_ secondary...and Michael felt disgust roll around his stomach like a bad wine. "Damn you..."

"Shepard?" Linron asked, making Michael realise he had merely muttered the words.

He forced himself to raise his voice, to make it a hateful growl. "_Damn_ _you_..." He finally looked up from the floor, glaring at the Salarian in impotent rage. "...damn you all to _hell_..."

Before him, the Dalatrass smiled.

"It seems we have an understanding..."

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for her...heated input. ;-)_


	22. Chapter 22

"Is this really necessary?"

Garrus arched his brow. If there was one thing Michael didn't do, it was _muttering_, but ever since their meeting where they had decided how to deal with the two Reapers on Tuchanka, he had been glum and quiet, almost grouchy. _And here I thought he'd be itching for the fight_..._though I guess he's worried what will happen if we fail, I sure am_...

Not that Garrus didn't agree with Michael, while he could understand the need to approach the Shroud facility via Tomkah rather than shuttle to escape the notice of the Reapers, he _didn't_ understand why they'd have to have a meeting in some ruins beforehand. _We could just have landed and gone off, Victus' fighters are already in the air and time is of the essence, Wrex if anyone should feel this way_...

The Krogan leading the way down the chipped and dirty hallway – bullet holes and the colour brown being its sole decoration – seemed surprisingly calm though as he rumbled back. "My word carries weight on Tuchanka, Shepard, but not _that_ much. If you want the Krogan _truly_ united, and for Wreav to do more than park his Tomkah's on the sideline demanding an explanation, you'll have to let me speak to him, and to _Tuchanka_." With his back facing Garrus, the Turian couldn't tell, but he felt that Wrex was smiling. "This moment will spark a fire in their hearts, I'll make sure of it."

"Ah, chest-pounding, good for morale." Mordin sniffed. The Salarian was at the back of the group, struggling a bit on the uneven ground with his cane, but ably helped by EDI and Kaidan whenever he needed it. Despite this, the Salarian looked in a good mood, the corner of his lips subtly curved upwards every time Garrus threw him a glance.

"Call it what you will, it's needed." Wrex grunted with a wave of his hand, not slowing down to glance back. "And I would keep quiet, if I were you. You might be the source of the cure, but most Krogan will see you as one of the species sterilizing us...that goes for you too, Garrus."

"Of course." Garrus drawled with a sigh. "It's not my first time surrounded by a mob of angry Krogan...it's a wonder I'm still in one piece."

"Some would say you aren't, _scars_." James quipped, the human walking next to him with a grin on his face...though the Wraith shotgun in his hands had the safety off. The human might be a funny guy, but he wasn't a fool.

Wrex chuckled. "Scars are good for you, builds character and goes well with the ladies."

"No offence, but Krogan ladies aren't my thing." Garrus retorted with a polite cough. He was worried though. Since Wrex and Grunt, he was _more_ than aware that Krogan could be clever, friendly and even kind, that they were as individual as anyone else, that they were reasonable. But Garrus had worked on C-Sec, and he knew that while _people_ could be reasonable and smart, _crowds_ weren't, they were easily agitated and prone to violence...that the crowd would consist of _Krogan_, most hating Salarians and Turians, only made things worse. _And they'll be armed too, this could get ugly, fast_..._Wrex_ _better know what he's doing_.

The thought brought some comfort. After all, Wrex _always_ knew what he was doing.

Liara didn't seem as calm, the woman walking right behind Michael and Wrex as she frowned. "Wrex, if this Wreav is as hostile as you say, and he's brought two hundred Krogan with him...what exactly will you do if things goes...poorly?"

Garrus felt Kaidan look up from his work in helping Mordin and sighed with irritation. _That human needs to learn how to relax and take risks_..._maybe I should buy him a few dances on Purgatory or something_? _Though that would entail spending time with him_..._maybe I could convince James to do it for me_?

Wrex, not sensing the human's scrutiny, shrugged. "Die, most likely." A small chuckle. "Afraid, T'soni?"

"I was battling a heavily armed Yagh and his hundreds of troops while you were warming a throne on Tuchanka, Wrex." Liara smiled, though it was soft, there was a hint of a smirk in the corner of her lips. "I'm pretty sure I'm catching up with your kill-count. So no, not afraid."

"Heh, always knew I liked you..." Wrex grunted, shooting the Asari a smirk.

"If you two are done _flirting_..." With an effort of will, Garrus managed to keep his face straight at the look the two shot him, one amused and the other withering, and nodded forward. "...I believe we've reached our destination."

And indeed they had, the sight before him making Garrus take pause, despite having had a fairly good idea what would be waiting for him.

The chamber ahead was large and round, yet despite that, there was barely room for the roughly two hundred heavily armed and armoured Krogan standing there. With the group coming out of a hallway exiting at the top of a flight of stairs, Garrus could look over the heads of all the Krogan...and found them all glaring at the group. _So_..._not a friendly reception, then_.

There were balconies surrounding the chamber too, all occupied by Grunt – standing out in his silver armour – and his Aralakh company, their black armoured shapes nearly hidden in the shadows and their weapons in their hands, at the ready. Not that Garrus found that reassuring. The Krogan on the main floor were four times as many and armed with various heavy weapons...a firefight would probably bring down the roof and kill all of them. _Wow, I'm cheerful today_..._maybe Michael's rubbing off on me_? Garrus shot his friend a concerned look, but the human ignored him.

Instead the man gestured at the group to halt at the top of the stairs as he and Wrex slowly moved down, only to come to a stop halfway to the floor as he looked around the chamber. He looked tired, but his eyes had a lingering fire as they swept over the many Krogan assembled...if he approved or not was difficult to tell. _Dammit, where's Tali when you need her_? _She could tell me what's on his mind_...

Wrex looked tense, hands closed into fists as he looked about for a specific face...his scowl showing he'd found it a moment later when a Krogan shouldered himself to the front of the crowd. "Wreav." The greeting was deliberately neutral.

"Wrex." That greeting was almost as neutral, but held a hint of hostility in it. _So this is Wrex's half-brother_? _Don't see the resemblance_... The Krogan was just as big as Wrex, implying age and toughness, but his head-crest was dark, almost black, and his eyes were a darker red, almost brown. His skin was the same shade as Wrex's, but it was common enough among Krogan not to make the relations clear. _Huh, with so many few fertile females_..._should I be surprised many Krogan look alike_? _Best not to think about the_..._implications of that_... "Why have you asked to meet me here, with so many of my warriors?"

Wrex took another step down, red eyes narrowing. "I _ordered_ you here, because your warriors are needed." Wrex ignored Wreav's frown as he looked up and around the assembled warriors. Following a quick sideways glance of Wrex's, Garrus noticed that not all of Aralakh's company were holding weapons, a few held what could only be cameras._ Filming his moment to show the rest of the Krogan_? _Clever_... "Because the Shroud facility has _Reapers_ on it, Reapers trying to _poison_ Tuchanka...and you've somehow _missed_ that." Wrex's head turned as he shot the other Krogan a glare.

The accusation was sharp, drawing a mutter from the assembled Krogan. But Wreav stood tall, not even flinching. "If I could have spared the scouts from watching the clans that _you_ can't seem to control, I _would_ have." A challenge hung in the air...but when Wrex narrowed his eyes Wreav simply shrugged. "But now I'm here, and we know where the Reapers are...and I will destroy these things, you don't need to worry..." A hint of mockery...and then the Krogan flinched as he looked past Wrex. "...what's that _thing_ doing here?"

As if they hadn't noticed him yet, an angry murmur rose from the assembled Krogan as eyes turned to Mordin leaning on his cane. Garrus felt a prickling unease run down his spine, plates chafing as some of the angry stares moved to him, but that just made him straighten and raise his chin. He might have come to believe the Krogan deserved to be free of the genophage, but he was a proud Turian, and wasn't about to show weakness when representing his people. Mordin, on the other hand, simply cocked his head to the side, as if studying the Krogan's reaction as one would a bug. _Always a scientist_..._I hope he realises they could tear him apart_...

Wrex took another step down the stairs, now close enough to touch Wreav. "That 'thing' is _Mordin_, and he's here to _cure_ the _Genophage_."

A shocked murmur filled the chamber, even Wreav falling silent, unable to find the words to challenge his brother.

Wrex looked decidedly pleased with himself as he looked around the chamber. "You hear that, Krogan? We will be _cured_! All I ask for you is to fight, to hold back the Reapers until Mordin can administer the cure, and then, we will be _free_."

Wreav finally shook his head, snarling. "You want a _Salarian_ to enter the Shroud facility! _Again_! Last time they sterilized us, now you want to _help_ them do whatever they have planned for us!" His words made the shocked murmur turn into one of suspicion.

Wrex was not impressed, however. "I know it's a cure, I _say_ it's cure..." He leant forward, sniffing as he glared down at Wreav. "...or do you question my word...?"

Wreav narrowed his eyes, the hostility between the two now tense with the prospect of violence...but after a moment of defiance, Wreav shrugged. "I do not, _brother_..." then he raised his voice. "...but I do question your _motive_!" There were angry growls from the Krogan behind him, making Garrus frown._ What is he up to_? _Seems to be an old argument, judging by Wrex's frown_... "We all know of how friendly you are with that _human_, Shepard!" Wreav's glare suddenly moved to Michael, who evenly looked back, not raising to the bait. "And how you have Turian and Asari friends, they're right here, _with_ you!" Garrus frowned, confused as to what the Krogan was getting at, but the murmur of the many Krogan definitively didn't seem to approve of it. "You call yourself a Krogan lord, but many wonder if you're not a puppet of the _Council_!" This time, the murmur turned into angry shouts. "I know you, you dangle this cure before us, and then you expect us to fight the Reapers, to fight the _Council's_ war, _again_!" The shouts increased in intensity, and Garrus felt himself tense, his old C-Sec instincts telling him the smallest of pushes would make everything explode...

Wrex pulled his head back with a snort...and drove it into Wreav's crest with a loud crack.

The following silence was deafening.

Wrex didn't even look at Wreav as the stumbling Krogan glared up at him in pure hatred, instead he looked around the chamber, disgust colouring his face. "Are you all _children_!" The words echoed in the silent chamber. "We live in the real galaxy, and like it or not, _other_ races inhabit it! I bring you a cure for our great sorrow, and you spit in my face! You call me a puppet of the _Council_! Who among you think we can stand alone, with no fleet, against the Reapers! Who of you think they fear us so much that they won't come here and destroy us!" He paused, gauging the crowd, his shouting subsiding. "We Krogan are _strong_, we do what we do to _survive_. So yes, we'll be cured for our strength, and yes we _will_ fight with the Council races against these Reapers." Wrex narrowed his eyes at those about to protest. "But we'll do it at _our_ terms, for _our_ people."

"Words, nothing more." Wreav spat, but the Krogan seemed less intense now, glaring up at Wrex, then glancing back at his men with a deliberately neutral face.

"Words I have time and time again proven myself good on." Wrex grunted, unimpressed.

"And what then?" Wreav retorted, shaking his head. "We become farmers like you want? Change and leave our warrior heritage behind?" He snorted in derision as behind him, Krogan shifted, uncomfortable with the idea, shaking their heads.

A glance back, and Garrus saw Mordin stare at them all, the old Salarian tense, almost...excited at what would happen. Wrex didn't notice though, his attention on his brother. "You still don't understand, do you? The Krogan heritage isn't that of the warrior, it's that of _strength_, there's a _difference_." For a moment, Wrex seemed to struggle for words, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "Before, we were _more_ than guns for hire, _more_ than clans fighting over scraps and irradiated land. We were _one_, we were _strong_, we built cities matching anything even the _Asari_ could build..." His gaze was far in the distance as he raised his hands. "With our strength, we forged our _future_, built a home we could be _proud_ of, where our _children_ could flourish..."

In the chamber, one could have heard a pin drop, the air thick with...was it memories? His gaze sweeping over the chamber, Garrus found the same forlorn look in Wrex's eyes here and there, and those that didn't looked thoughtful, almost _sad_.

"We can have that again." Wrex words were a whisper, yet easily carried across the chamber...and Garrus shivered at the words, finding them...touching. And around the chamber, others felt it too. "We can regain what was lost, rebuild, ensure what once happened will _never_ happen again."

Wrex looked over to Wreav, but the other Krogan said nothing, eyes lowered to the floor in thought.

"So no, Wreav, I will _not_ change who we are, I will return us to it..." Wrex paused, a flicker of disgust crossing his features before he smoothed it to a mask of calm and offered his hand. "..if you have the strength to follow me."

Wreav looked up, regarding the hand...then glanced back, finding his men silent, waiting...and their hostility gone. A tiniest of sighs...and Wreav took Wrex's hand and gave it a firm shake. "I do."

Instantly, the chamber was filled with a cacophony of shouting, the Krogan warriors raising fists and weapons high, roaring their approval, their stomping feet making the ground shake as the very air shook with the power of their shouts.

_Impressive_... Garrus shot Wrex an appreciative look, somewhat puzzled by the way the quiet Michael next to the Krogan looked more pensive than encouraged by what had happened.

Next to him, Liara leant close. "I believe the roof is about to collapse..."

Garrus laughed.

8

8

8

The Tomkah was fast, powerful...and exceedingly uncomfortable, loud and even _smelly_.

James grimaced where he sat. There were seatbelts for each seat along the length of the inside of the tank, but they were made for Krogan and too large. As such James had taken to gripping the belt as hard as he could, using it to hold himself in place as the crude machine bounced and shifted as it drove over what had to be _nothing_ but speed bumps. He tried to focus on anything but the bouncing, but that just returned his awareness to scent of the inside of the tank. "Does anyone else smell that?"

There was no answer.

Near the doorway to the driver's compartment, Michael stood, holding onto a couple of hooks in the ceiling, which actually looked more comfortable than sitting down. The man was frowning at the floor even as James could see crimson reflections in his eyes; clearly he was regarding the tactical situation laid out before him inside his helmet. And not liking what he saw.

In the same vein, EDI was sitting to the man's left, the machine too frowning, staring right into nothing as she focused her mind elsewhere. With her hands in her lap, she was bouncing dangerously on her seat without really noticing it, but being a machine, James supposed she couldn't feel uncomfortable.

Opposite the machine and to James' left, Alenko sat, the man looking surprisingly at ease in the bouncing vehicle as he kept his legs spread and far out to dampen the effect of the shaking, while doing some last checks on his Avenger rifle. Javik was opposite the man, the Prothean glaring at the ceiling, as if he could somehow _see_ the Reapers ahead. _Great, now I'm reminded what we're charging into, good, that'll put me at ease_...

Doctor T'soni, on the other hand, looked even more uncomfortable than _James_ was. The Asari was grimacing every time the vehicle lurched, bringing her up into the air before she fell back onto the hard seat with a clack of armour against armour, her hands were clutching at the edges of her seat, but it didn't seem to help. She almost looked ill, her blue skin somewhat darker than it should be. James would have offered some words of sympathy, but he doubted they would be well-received, given the growing glare in her eyes.

Yet despite that, Mordin opposite her looked eerily calm. The Salarian was bouncing like mad, his small frame thrown too and fro, with only his firm grip on the belt at the side holding him fast, yet he didn't look the least bothered by it, a small smile on his lips and his eyes far away.

Vakarian was standing, the Turian almost mimicking Michael's stance at the other end of the bouncing tank as he regarded their leader with a frown. _Jeez, no one is happy nowadays, do I need to start another game of basketball_...?

"Seriously, doesn't anyone-"

"Yes, we smell it, you dim-witted ox." Javik snapped, making James' eyebrows arch. _That's_..._an interesting insult_..._guess the Prothean translator doesn't have things like 'asshole' in it_..._or maybe it's too 'primitive' a word for him to use_? _Heh_... "It's the stench of Krogan blood, urine, vomit, mixed with oil and something burnt..." A sniff, followed a snort. "...as well as Krogan semen."

"Wait, what was that last thing?"

"Semen."

_Eugh_... James inched away from the stain on the left side of his seat that he before had simply seen as yet another odd blemish on the rusty vehicle. "Okay, I know the Krogan _love_ fighting...but that's a bit much." James frowned, then grimaced. "Err...how do you recognise the smell of Krogan semen anyway?"

Javik's eyes narrowed.

"I don't think you want him to answer." Alenko said without looking up from his work on his rifle, though his lips formed an amused smile. "Or to do whatever he _considers_ an answer."

"Fair enough." James grunted, seeking his mind for some less insulting question that would fill the tense silence within the tank.

Vakarian was quicker though. "Michael, you okay?"

James arched an eyebrow at the question, but Vakarian knew the Spectre best, so the question was probably not just out of a need to make conversation.

Shepard didn't look up though, only raising a hand, palm facing Garrus, a short grunt "Fine." _Erm_... James glanced over at Vakarian, but Shepard was faster than both of of them. "Right, everyone out, I need to take a real look at this."

There was little arguing with that tone, short and to the point, and as such the group obediently got to their feet as the door behind Vakarian opened, allowing them to file out and take a look around.

This area of Tuchanka was largely empty. Nothing but sandy dunes, here and there marked with the odd ruin of what might have been a farmstead at some point...to think that _anything_ had once grown there was difficult, but it was the only thing James could think of when he saw the odd broken remains of a chimney or wall. What might have been a city was in the distance though, the large cluster of pale brown ruins rising above the sands, like a broken hand struggling up from a sea.

The Shroud facility was no ruin though. It was a dark finger, grey and shimmering with orange lights dancing along its length as it rose above everything around it. Even the two Reaper Destroyers, like dark beetles towering over the ruins, were shorter than it, though far more imposing. One stood facing the tower, the other a little to the side...and slowly turning to face them. _God, it's like it can already see us_...

James shivered and glanced over at Shepard to his left, finding the man narrowing his eyes at the machine...and James shivered again. There was hatred in the man's eyes, not the hatred of an enemy, or of a mass-murderer, it was deeper, _personal_...

Behind the man, the convoy of Tomkahs started to bank their engines, eager to engage...and Shepard didn't look as if he was about to disappoint, his omni-tool glowing as he brought it up to his lips, lips forming into a vicious growl. "Attack."

A roar of engines, and the Tomkahs veered to the left and off what might one day have passed for a road. With them all having turned, the column had changed into a line of tanks, a line now spreading out as they drove over the sandy dunes, fearless of the danger of charging the giant ahead.

A distant roar, reverberating with an electronic shift...and the Reaper not facing the tower took a ponderous step forward, foot crushing the remains of an old building in the process as its body turned to regard the line of tanks heading for it. Its body shifted, plates in the centre of it moving sideways to reveal a single crimson eye, an eye glowing brighter with every moment...

A crackle of power...and the beam of red light tore through air, Tomkah and sand, making one of the foremost tanks flip over onto its back, nearly shorn in two along the length and with its contents of burnt Krogan spilling out like the organs of a gutted animal.

Then a whizzing sound made James instinctively duck, his head twisting to catch sight of the Turian fighters suddenly flying overhead. There were three dozen snub-fighters, resembling bent diamonds with small wings, and they were _fast_. For a horrifying moment, James thought they would simply crash into the Reaper facing them. But then they split into three wings, one going past its left, another its right and the third over it...and the Reaper shimmered as their payload harmlessly detonated against its shields.

It was enough of a distraction to make the Reaper turn its attention to them though, and James watched with a sinking heart as it somehow caught one of the fighter wings with its second shot of the battle. This time it annihilated one of the fighters in a flash of white and sent another spinning with half its hull remaining before crashing into the ground in an explosion of dust.

Turning to his radio, James stayed quiet as he listened in on the situation.

Wreav's voice was gruff and defiant. "Right, everybody out, let's show them how _Krogan_ fight!" Ahead, the line of tanks was slowing down, allowing Krogan, small like ants at that distance, jump out and advance into whatever cover they could find. Their tanks were already driving off, the vehicles moving too and fro, seemingly at random, to throw off any enemy fire as they themselves opened up with their turret-mounted cannons.

It was needed, already another tank had been flipped over, turret torn off along with two wheels as a barrage of what had to be Ravager-fire, spewed forth from dark figures dotted along the ruins as the Reapers' foot-troops joined the battle. Mostly though, the enemy fire was directed at the Krogan soldiers, droves of Turian husks digging in among the ruins as their fire began to scythe through the Krogan bereft of almost all cover from whence to shoot back.

"Artemis squadron here, shifting to secondary targets, locked on, firing in three, two..." The Turian voice was surprisingly calm through the radio...and a second later the Turian fighters shot forth once more. This time their missiles and mass accelerator weapons were aimed at the ruins and the husks within, and that with spectacular results as explosions blossomed along the outskirts of the ruins, whole buildings collapsing and sending the inhabitants to their deaths.

Wreav's Krogan had also begun to fire, and while James had been informed that many of them carried heavy weapons, he hadn't quite understood how _many_ did. Though the husks got their fair share of shots, the majority was aimed at the Reaper, a _rain_ of grenades, missiles, bolts of lightning and even two of blinding lights from a pair of _Cains_ covered it in their powerful blasts.

The Reaper, not even marked by the multiple impacts, strode forth, clawed foot crushing half a dozen Krogan as its ruby eye appeared from within its body again, blasting another Turian fighter out of the air, as if casually swatting a fly.

_Well_..._that's_ _encouraging_. James shifted where he stood, uncomfortable, his fingers itching. _Dammit, why are we just standing here_!

"At least Grunt's company is making progress." Alenko noted, nodding at the outskirts of the ruins. Squinting, James could indeed see a swarm of black dots, led by a single silver light, swarm over the right flank of the entrenched husks before slowly beginning to roll up their line in the wake of the Turian bombing-run.

"Not good enough." Vakarian grunted, the Turian frowning in worry as he looked to the battlefield, then back to Shepard. "The second Reaper isn't moving, Michael."

_Oh_... James turned his attention to the other Reaper, annoyed with himself for forgetting about it. And indeed, it was still standing by the Shroud tower, an effective blockade against any attempt to reach the facility.

"They're arrogant, but also intelligent." The Spectre replied, voice a low growl. "They don't believe the other is needed, and they're intent on finishing poisoning the atmosphere while one of them deals with our distraction."

Silence followed his words.

James glanced over at T'soni, who shot him a concerned look, Alenko and Vakarian too looked worried. EDI's face was impassive though, staring at the battle, probably recording the whole thing...and the only other emotion present was grim hatred, Michael and Javik now standing side by side, glaring at the Reapers thrashing their attack with impotent anger.

_Shit, and here I figured we'd at least stand a fighting chance_...

Yet Shepard stood there, unbowed by the futile battle before them. Then, he raised his hand, omni-tool aglow, voice a terse growl. "Artemis wing, break formation and engage the primary target, keep it busy."

"Yes, sir." Came the calm response, this time from a Turian with a distinct female voice, meaning the previous speaker had probably been shot down by the Reaper in the latest attack. "All fighters, break formation and engage."

Michael didn't lower his hand though, his finger simply flicking over to another channel. "Joker, engage the fighting Reaper, come in low and fast when it's firing." He held out his other hand, it too glowing with the glow of his omni-tool. "Target is painted."

"Finally." Came the almost cheerful response, though the pilot voice held a hint of tenseness in it. "Another notch in my dashboard, here I come..."

"I would prefer it if you _didn't_ blemish me, Jeff." EDI snapped, though there was a smile on her lips, making James chuckle. "Unless I ask for it, of course...that was a joke." James was joined by Vakarian at that, the two sharing a knowing smile. The only other one who James had expected to join in kept his eyes on the battle though, brow furrowing in concentration, as if he could bring the Reapers down by sheer _will_.

"Errr...right..." Joker somewhat awkwardly muttered, clearing his throat. "Coming in, then..."

Ahead, the fighting Reaper had just crushed a Tomkah underneath its feet, another crushing a group of Krogan and sending several more flying. It was too ponderous to turn after the swift Turian fighters circling it like gnats around an animal, but somehow it seemed to _know_ where they'd fly...and another two fighters were obliterated in its next blast. The next shot brought down another fighter that exploded mid-air. What little remained of its hull splintered as it struck a Tomkah, sending the tank veering to the side even as it continued to fire upon the Reaper in the vain hope of damaging it.

Then, as the Reaper turned to its right, armour opening to reveal its crimson eye to track yet another of the hopelessly out-gunned fighters...pale blue light moved to meet it.

The light was almost as large as that of the Reaper's own shots, and the sparks escaping it seemed to make the very air around it tremble with the power held within the beam...a beam striking the Reaper directly in the eye.

There was a blinding white light as the beam met the Reaper's shield, a light turning orange as it punched through and met the machine itself, a light _growing_, dancing arcs moving outwards across the hull of the Reaper.

A whoosh...and the Normandy swept past the Reaper.

For a moment, it just stood there, it's eye now almost white, its light painfully bright.

James caught himself taking a step forward, the others around him doing the same, eyes on the still machine.

Then the second Reaper suddenly roared, the machine turning around, making James' gut tighten in fear as he _felt_ its anger course through his bones.

But its anger could measure up to the sight of the other Reaper's eye exploding, white arcs of lightning moving out from it and across its hull as pieces of its main weapon rained down on the Krogan beneath...followed by the Reaper itself.

With an almighty crash, followed by a massive cloud of dust, the Reaper fell, dead.

Though it no doubt crushed several of Wreav's Krogan beneath it, James could actually _hear_ their roars as they called out their victory, roars followed by a barrage of missiles and Cain fire raining over both the entrenched husks and the second Reaper.

"Holy...he did it..." Alenko was muttering the words, the biotic's eyes wide as he stared at the dead Reaper...and to be fair, James couldn't blame him. "We just killed a Reaper..."

"Every dead Reaper is a good Reaper." Javik growled, sounding less impressed, though then he cocked his head to the side, casting Shepard a sideways glance. "A good surprise. You know war, perhaps there _is_ hope, however slim."

The man didn't reply though, his gaze intense, not even casting a glance at the dead Reaper, but rather fixed on the one remaining, the one ignoring the various shots coming from the Krogan troops and the Turian fighters, the one with its eye solely on the Normandy as the ship circled the battlefield. The pilot's voice was excited though as it came through the radio. "One down! Did you see that! _Beautiful_...now for number...whoa!" The eye of the remaining Reaper fired, the blast tearing through the air just beneath the Normandy and making it spin away as the pilot dodged. "Shit! I'm taking fire from that thing, and I'm a far bigger target than a damn _fighter_!"

"Keep it busy." Michael's voice was a low, tense, growl, his back facing the group so all they could see was a pair of bunched up shoulders.

"Keep it...are you _insane_!" Joker's voice shook, and Alenko looked about to protest as well, only to sigh and close his mouth again, knowing there was no point.

"You're the best pilot in the Alliance, you can do it." Michael retorted, drawing a grumbled cuss from the pilot. Then, the man turned, gaze hard as it swept over the group before him, then over to Mordin, his expression unreadable._ Wow, you'd think he'd be cheerful over a dead Reaper_...

His tone was cold though, emotionless. "Move out."

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being such a feathery companion._


	23. Chapter 23

_The queen was right_.

The thought brought with it a sting of guilt and regret, but it was nothing compared to the anger burning with him, like a glowing ember within his gut, trying to dig its way out...Michael wondered what would happen if it ever did. Would he turn back to the monster he had once been back on Earth? Or something worse?

Yet the anger superseded those thoughts, an anger mirrored in that of the Reaper. It was strange, but not unfamiliar after his encounters with Sovereign and the Collector made Reaper, but Michael could _feel_ its anger, a dark force suffusing it, as much part of it as its organic alloyed armour and brain. It _was_ a ship of anger...though the agony the queen has spoke of was clearly something it didn't feel, but rather inflicted on others with unshackled malevolence.

Yet it was not a mad monster, a blood-lusting berserker or a force of nature. It had a _mind_, was _intelligent_, and that made it all the more potent...and terrifying as its presence loomed over him, its mind a dark thing, a thing he by now knew _intimately_.

It knew of him and his group, of how close they were to the Shroud facility. Yet with the Normandy still circling it, it wouldn't risk bringing its gun to bear on them, and with them so close to the facility it wouldn't try crushing them with its feet. It was their saving grace, the Reaper was, despite the loss of its ally, arrogant, taking its victory for granted, and intent on using the facility after that victory...it was all Michael would need.

_Or not, really_... Michael struggled not to argue with himself again at the thought of the Dalatrass' offer, of what must be done. Every time he thought on it...his mind rebelled, withdrew from the idea as if burnt. Wrex had been so _earnest_, and Michael had seen with his own eyes the way the other Krogan had lit up at the thought of a cure, of a _future_...

_Perhaps the Dalatrass is right, maybe they would rebel_? _Maybe it's best to keep them as they are_? Michael frowned as he walked, automatically scanning every corner with his drawn Raptor. He could do that in his sleep by now though, leaving _far_ too much time for unwelcome thoughts._ I'm not sure though...dammit_.

To his left, the Reaper was striding around, trying to keep the Normandy in its sights. The battle had moved into the ruined city, and as such each step of the massive machine crushed buildings, Krogan and husks alike under its feet. Around it, Turian fighters swarmed, annoying it with their attacks as well as bombing any concentration of husks they could reach without hitting their Krogan allies._ Krogan and Turian allied_..._a pretty big hole in your theory, Dalatrass_. _Of course, I guess morality doesn't matter_..._or anything else for that matter_. He glanced back, seeing Mordin and considering him. The Salarian seemed intent on the mission...and that boded ill.

_I hate this_.

Then, much to Michael's relief, since it meant a distraction, Garrus leapt forward with a shout. "Targets sighted!" Before Michael could draw a bead on the enemy, the Turian's Black Widow barked out a single shot.

Far ahead, a Marauder leaping down from a broken ledge spun backwards with the impact of the shot while mid-air, its head torn off.

With a dull thud, it hit the ground.

"The first of many, I wager." Garrus growled even as everyone in the group stopped, scanning the ground before them for any additional targets, but finding none. "Marauders, Ravagers and Cannibals, if EDI's scan was correct...guess they're trying to slow us down." Michael nodded. The Reapers might have thrown most of their troops at Wreav and his men, but it wasn't surprising that they had left troops by the Shroud, Michael had expected it. "What's the plan then? Flanking? Sneaking, ambush?"

Michael didn't answer at first, instead he heard the buzz of his radio, having expected the call already. Grunt's voice was rough and full of the excitement of battle. "Shepard! The husks are in full retreat! Or rather, coming _your_ way!"

_Knew it, the Reaper won't risk damaging the Shroud facility, nor to let the Normandy out of its sights, so it's using the only means available to stop us_. Michael briefly wondered how many husks were left after their battle with the Krogan, probably a lot, but didn't feel overly worried, they'd tangled with worse odds. "Grunt. Pursue and engage, keep up the pressure, we're approaching our target." Michael lowered his hand from his ear, shooting Garrus a smirk the Turian returned in kind. It was time to let loose.

"Good!" Grunt growled, then chuckled crudely as something in the distance exploded. "I _like_ that kind of order!"

"As for us..." Michael turned to the others, finding Garrus already switching to his Saber rifle, knowing what would happen in a few moments without any words being needed. "...we're going all in, hit the Reapers hard and fast." He grinned wolfishly at them, finding his excitement contagious in their eyes. _Then to the facility_... Michael struggled not to grimace in worry and guilt, and though he succeeded, he found his tone a bit harsh as he added. "Kaidan, keep Mordin safe, the rest of you, on me."

Not even bothering to look back, he knew they would follow them, Michael started to move forward in a smooth jog, Raptor rifle at the ready.

His heart wasn't in it though.

_I'm fighting to reach something I can't use_.

Before him, the world almost seemed to turn into a blur of brown ruins, the husks appearing ahead nothing but grey blotches unless Michael looked directly at them, at which point he could suddenly see every little detail in their deformed and disgusting bodies.

_It's pointless_.

A Marauder. Three shots struck it, two knocking out its weak shield, the third ripping half its neck off.

_Just as my entire campaign against the Reapers sometimes feel_.

A Cannibal. A shot tearing a leg off at the knee, toppling it. A second shot blew apart its face when it looked up.

_I defeat Sovereign_._ I stop the Collectors_. _I gather troves of evidence, do everything I can_.

Two Cannibals, four quick shots, two into each chest, staggering them both backwards in small puffs of crimson blood, then another two shots, spreading their brains over the floor.

_Nothing but a delay of the inevitable, which the entire galaxy can't seem to stop, even if they tried_.

Three shots, the first two knocking out the shields of a Marauder before the third cut right through its chest, felling it as well as the Cannibal behind it as the bullet struck the creature between the eyes.

_Why am I even trying any more_?_ No one else seems to_.

A Cannibal was on the remains of a balcony. Michael fired, the first shot making it reel back as its shoulder was struck...and then Michael's rifle hissed, in need of a new heat sink. Mechanically, Michael began to reload, watching the Cannibal stagger, then sway...before straightening, its disgusting features turning into a snarl as it took aim...

Then the green energy of Javik's biotics coursed through it, lifting the growling creature up...before slamming it back into the balcony. The old stone didn't hold though, and the creature and debris fell, crushing three Marauders that had been unable to seek cover due to a hail of grenades from James' Falcon launcher staggering them backwards.

Michael felt a tiny jolt of energy at that.

_No, no I'm wrong_.

Moving, not bothering to properly take cover, simply running sideways to use a pillar to block off the majority of the enemy fire, Michael finally slid in a fresh heat sink. A Marauder on his flank raised its weapon at him, only for two quick shots from Garrus' Saber to split its head in two.

_I'm not alone_.

Moving back into the firing line, James, EDI and Javik at his side as Garrus and Liara moved in the back, Michael felt..._home_. Ahead, the shields of three Marauders appearing round a corner were overloaded by Garrus, EDI and the distant Kaidan...and then lifted off their feet by Liara's singularity. A fourth rushed up to charge a concentrating Javik, only to collapse as James emptied his falcon into its face...a moment later Javik set off the biotic blast by hitting one of the Marauders with his own biotics, killing all three in a mix of purple and green biotics.

_They could even do this without me_.

Michael saw two Cannibals on the far right, their shots making Liara dive low to dodge...and then the two fell, Michael's aim having moved without him even thinking about it.

_But I won't let them_.

Liara offered a grateful smile at him even as she rolled to her feet, then frowned at an enemy ahead, her biotics glowing as she sent the shield-less Marauder about to fire back at EDI flying.

_Because these are my friends, and I love them_.

His strides widened, his Raptor singing in his hands, his foes falling.

Yet in the back of his mind, doubts nagged at him.

_The friends you're about to betray_...

He stumbled, then found Garrus' hand on the back of his neck-guard, the Turian hoisting him back up and offering him a wink, a wink dying at the sight of Michael's pale appearance as the human imagined betraying Garrus. _I_..._I don't think I can do it_...

_I must_.

Michael opened his mouth, but no words came, he didn't know what to say.

_But I_..._can't_...

"Clear." James grunted, giving Michael an excuse to tear his gaze away from his friend's questioning look.

But as he looked over to James, he found himself craning his neck again as EDI pointed upwards, the machine actually looking _surprised_. "Look, the Reaper!"

Michael stared at the machine, at first not seeing anything beyond the usual. The machine dwarfing them all, eye following the Normandy as it tried to blast the Frigate out of the sky, feet crushing the ruins and warriors beneath with each step...but then he spotted it.

_Is that_..._Krogan_!

It was.

Like tiny ants, intent on bringing down a much larger insect, the Krogan were somehow finding enough purchase to _climb_ their enemy. At first, Michael figured it to be Grunt's men, but there were too many colours among the troops. It was Wreav's men, tired of only killing husks with their heavy weapons, that were performing a _suicidal_ attack on the Reaper.

Even as he watched, explosions, this time not warded off by a shield due to them being set off inside its protection, blossomed from the Reaper's foremost left leg.

The armour held though, even where the explosives were set off in its chinks and joints, there wasn't the slightest of tremors in the nearly invincible war-machine. Instead burning Krogan fell off its leg, some only pieces, others screaming all the way to their deaths. They were joined by more Krogan falling off the other foreleg when the Reaper took a step, these Krogan simply a few dark spots against the sky as they were hurled to the distant ground.

Yet the Reaper was only _nearly_ invincible, and the Normandy had shown the way.

Staring, unable to tear his gaze from the scene, Michael watched three Krogan slowly climb up the front of the Reaper's body.

Not even noticing, or perhaps not caring, the Reaper swung its body around after the Normandy. With a roar of rage, rather than horror, the lowermost Krogan lost his grip and fell to his death, hands clawing at the air, as if trying to find purchase on it so he could continue to fight until he crashed into a tall ruin in a cloud of dust that marked his end.

Then the Reaper's armour moved to reveal its eye, to take aim upon the Normandy.

The topmost Krogan slipped, but managed to hold on with one hand as the armour he was holding on to moved downwards. The other Krogan was less lucky, the shifting armour coming down over his head and crushing him like a human would a fly.

Yet the surviving one didn't even seem to notice he was alone, with a tired groan loud enough to echo over the battlefield, he heaved himself upwards...and suddenly stood upon the shifted armour, staring right into the glowing eye of the Reaper. His mouth dry, Michael stared at the Krogan reaching back...and drawing the Cain from his back.

The Reaper suddenly jerked backwards, a flinch so unlike its previous behaviour. At the same time it began to close the plates around its eye. Yet the Krogan's balance wasn't affected by the sudden movement, nor did he recoil from the plates around him closing in for a deadly embrace. Roaring something defiant, the Krogan leapt forward, out of sight even as the plates closed in around him.

For a moment, the battlefield became quiet.

Then, the Reaper _roared_.

Violently staggering backwards on shaking legs, the plates around its eye were blown outwards with enough force to send them skywards, a mushroom cloud rising from the hole they left, its base alight with dancing red and white lights.

Yet for all that, the Reaper's dying roar, the echoing explosion and the crash as it fell to the ground, the Krogans' roar was _louder_, a baying sound Michael felt shake every bone in his body.

Someone behind him was muttering a curse, or maybe a prayer...but Michael didn't hear it, he didn't even feel the pleasure of having witnessed a Reaper dying. His eyes were wide at the sight of a lone Krogan having given his life to kill a Reaper, of the defiance of the Krogan, their will _unbroken_ despite their recent losses or those they'd suffered for _centuries_.

They were much like him, defiant to the last, but stronger, _worthier_...

_The Dalatrass is wrong_...

It was so easy to see, so patently obvious, that Michael was rendered speechless. Wrex was right, the Krogan weren't a mistake, they were strong, and no one who had seen that noble act, an act done for the future children of other Krogan, could doubt that the Krogan hadn't learnt how precious life was.

Yet it didn't matter, for right or wrong didn't kill Reapers.

Lowering his gaze in sudden grief for the unnamed soul, of his noble sacrifice, of the hero he had never known, Michael felt shame fill him.

Slowly, he turned to the others, mind empty of the excuse he had come up with to make the others leave him alone with Mordin.

Only to find the Reapers supplying him with one.

Further away, the ground was turning grey and black as a mob of Marauders and Cannibals came charging at them, _still_ under Reaper control, _still_ set on stopping them delivering the cure.

It was all too easy. "Garrus, take the rest of the team and hold them off. Mordin, you're with me."

The Turian nodded grimly, already turning as he changed weapons to his Black Widow, quickly barked orders instantly obeyed by the group as they turned to face the new threat. Even Kaidan obeyed, his face calm and set, ready to do the right thing.

_If you only knew_...

Throwing his old friend, now Spectre, a guilty glance, Michael grabbed Mordin by the arm and forced the Salarian into a brisk pace towards the Shroud Facility.

Along the way, all he heard was his own doubts.

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Mordin was moving ahead.

Despite his cane and the age it signified, the Salarian was walking a brisk pace, tense and eager. It was clear he _wanted_ to cure the Krogan, that he couldn't _wait_ to fix it, that he believed he was doing the right thing. Which he was.

Michael grimaced at the man's back.

_Wrex won't live forever, who knows what the Krogan will do after his death_? _They might start another war_. _But I know Wrex, he'll change their culture, change their focus_..._if he survives this war_. _It's risky, giving the Krogan a second chance, could lead to more war, just as the Dalatrass said_...

_Who am I kidding_?

Michael was slowing down, his legs feeling sluggish. Ahead, the shroud facility rose up high, a monument of a time when the Salarians and Krogans were allies, not bothered by the sounds of battle far behind, the sound of that time returning.

_If it was up to me, I'd take the chance_..._but it isn't_. He swallowed._ I don't have a choice_... He looked away, suddenly baring his teeth in an angry snarl._ Of course there is_! _You're the one here_! _You __always__ have a choice_! _You know this better than most_! _You believe in that_!

He looked back up, finding Mordin striding towards the tower, towards a computer at the base of it, the Salarian already reaching down to a bag in his hand, reaching for the cure...

Weary, Michael struggled to contain the bitter chuckle nearly escaping him._ I do_? _Is making so the Salarians won't help us, potentially getting everyone in the galaxy killed, a choice_? _Is saying no to their fleets, their soldiers and scientists, a choice_? _Can I choose to risk letting the Reapers win_? _What leader of this war would I be, if I risked us all like that_?

Nothing answered him.

_Didn't think so_.

"Mordin, stop."

The Salarian turned, surprise shaping his old face. "Yes, Shepard? We should hurry, the sooner cure dispersed, the better."

Michael glanced back, guilt filling him even as he noted that no one else was in sight. A deep breath...and he turned, his face a neutral mask. "We're not deploying the cure."

"What? Preposterous, we're here, we have cure, all of this was to deploy it, no other reason." Mordin babbled...only to pause, cocking his head to the side with a frown. "Is there?"

Michael took another deep breath, feeling as if there was a vice around his lungs, making it impossible to get enough air into them. "There is...Mordin...we can't deploy the cure, not now..." He grimaced. "The Dalatrass-"

"Dalatrass!" Mordin gasped, eyes opening wide. "Desires no cure, desires continued Krogan decline! Mentioning Dalatrass now..." The Salarians eyes narrowed, tone low, slower. "...what did you do?"

Michael shifted where he stood, heart thumping hard in his chest. "I...she won't help us if the Krogan are cured, I _need_ the Salarians, Mordin..." The Salarian still had his eyes narrowed, but straightened, clearly _listening_. _Thank god, maybe I can reason with him_... "I...if we fake this thing, the Krogan will help us, and the Salarians will help us too, that way, the galaxy stands the best chance of surviving." Michael took a step forward, a trembling smile on his lips, tone soft. "We can always cure them _later_, when the Dalatrass doesn't have this hook on us...we have to pick our battles, Mordin..."

Mordin raised his hand to stroke his chin. "Maybe..." Michael smiled...only for it to die a second later when the Salarian violently shook his head. "No, no, too late for that, this _must_ be done. Old man, must fix my...my mistake." The Salarian moved to turn...

And Michael took another step forward. "Didn't you hear what I said? We can do this later! When everything's calmed down, we can go down and correct this mistake, no problem..." Michael made a pleading face. "...surely you _must_ realise this?"

"No." This time, Mordin was glaring at him. "Too many variables, same mistake as with the Genophage, don't _know_ what future holds. Me assassinated by Dalatrass? Dies of old age? Cure destroyed? Decided by Council to bring it into storage? Anything could happen then, nothing is certain, today _is_." The Salarian began to turn again. "Can't play god, can't be responsible for Krogan's future, cure means freedom..." A sniff. "...for all of us involved."

"Don't be unreasonable!" Michael took two swift steps forward in panic, only to stop when Mordin glanced back at him, frowning. "_I'll_ protect you! _I'll_ get the cure to the Krogan eventually! I _swear_ it!"

Mordin continued to walk though, shaking his head as he reached down, bringing up a vial filled with a purple liquid. "No. My mistake, mine to fix. Sorry, Shepard, but this must be done."

Michael froze for but a moment...and then felt his body go numb as he reached down, drawing his Eagle pistol. His body spoke, the voice not his own. "Mordin...you're _not_ deploying the cure." His body raised the weapon, it was shaking. "Walk away."

The Salarian slowly turned. He didn't even glance at the weapon though, his gaze meeting Michael's. "You'll shoot me? Kill me? The Dalatrass will get what she wants." Michael gritted his teeth at that, feeling filthy. Mordin took a step closer, narrowing his eyes. "Every minute the Krogan are under the effect of the Genophage is a _crime_, we know it!" The Salarian spat the last words, shaking his head furiously. "Won't die a criminal! Won't wait, _hoping_ my mistake will be fixed! Must do it myself, must do it _now_! Is _right_!"

"Mordin..." Michael swallowed, his vision blurry, body shaking. "..._please_..."

"No, Shepard." The Salarian straightened, tone calm, at peace, gaze locked with Michael. "Sometimes, one must hold the line."

Silence.

Then, Michael nodded, ashamed. "You have."

He squeezed the trigger.

With a gasp, Mordin staggered backwards, the scientist's armoured robe unable to protect him from such a close ranged salvo, green blood splattering the white and red coat as multiple shots tore through his chest. The Salarian stumbled back, one hand over his chest, wheezing for air as he tried to turn towards the computer, reaching for it with the one holding the cure.

Weeping, Michael squeezed the trigger a second time.

A gasp, Mordin's arms moving out to his sides as the second salvo slammed into his back, and the Salarian fell forward, wetly thumping into the floor.

Silence.

Michael lowered his pistol, his breathing coming in small gasps, unable to stop the panic gripping his heart as the galaxy spun around him, out of control.

_He looks so small_...

He swayed where he stood.

_I'm sorry, my frie_..._no, I have no right calling you that_.

Michael stood there, frozen, staring at the dead Salarian, then over to where the cure had landed. The vial was shattered, the content soaking into the dirt, gone and lost to the galaxy...and Michael gasped, nearly doubling over at the sight._ I failed you_...

Then, he looked down, finding his hand, still clutching his pistol, unable to let it go.

_What am I turning into_...?

A roar, filled with anger, frustration, grief and horror...and Michael threw the weapon away.

_Don't think, do what you came here to do_..._just_... He looked down at Mordin's corpse, revulsion gripping him. ..._just_ _do_ _it_...

Again, he barely felt his body as it moved forward, making a wide circle around the dead Salarian before it reached the computer. Its eyes barely saw the symbols and display of the computer as its fingers moved over the keyboard.

With the self-destruct of the Shroud facility activated, the body turned and walked away.

It didn't look back.

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"Michael!" The excited cheer of Garrus, the first to notice him, made the Spectre look up, to force a smile on his pale face.

The group coming to meet him were grinning, but then hesitated at the state of him, eyes red, skin pale, hands shaking ever so slightly.

EDI came over her shock swiftly though. "Where's Mordin, Shepard?"

"He..." Michael swallowed, the lump in his throat refusing to disappear. "...there was a problem, he had to...to..." He glanced over at Wrex moving to reach the group, but couldn't meet the Krogan's gaze, instead he looked over to EDI, finding her calm expression soothing. "...he went up to the tower to make sure the cure got dispersed."

The others took a step back at that, sad, impressed, eyes moving over Michael's shoulder to stare at the tower in the distance, a tower now nothing but a smoking ruin.

Another Krogan were moving up to the group, Wreav...the Krogan growling the question. "So...he did it? The Genophage has been cured?"

Michael stared at the ground, shamed to his very core. "Yeah..." He glanced over at Wrex ever so swiftly. "...yeah it is."

A few relieved sighs, a few backs being thumped, Wreav laughing out loud, greeted the lie...and as other Krogan from the battle came closer, the lie was greeted with roars and cheers of happiness, a few of them even _crying_ with happiness.

_I'm a fraud_.

Glancing up though, he found a single Krogan _not_ participating in the celebrations.

Wrex was looking at him, an odd look on his face. His red eyes moved over Michael's slumped body, over his pale face...and then down to his hip, a hip lacking the usual pistol...

Suddenly, the Krogan took a slow step backwards, something beneath his big eyes lighting up, then dimming, dying...and the Krogan's brow furrowed.

And Michael found himself go even paler.

_He knows_...

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for her honesty. _


	24. Chapter 24

"For Shepard!"

The roar echoed throughout the chamber, the multitude of Krogan raising their glasses of Ryncol for the toast.

Michael forced a smile, a smile he'd once used at political meetings back when he'd been popular among human politicians...it was familiar, yet unwelcome. He raised his own glass at the many grinning Krogan surrounding him, some so close he could smell the grease on their armour, and brought his own glass, filled with Batarian ale, to his lips.

The drink was all too rapidly emptied.

Not that Michael had managed to get drunk yet, it seemed impossible for some reason, the lingering effect of the battle and his murder of Mordin keeping him sober and far too aware of what he had done.

Not to mention what he must do in the future, and _soon_.

With an effort of will, he managed not to scream out his frustration.

They had travelled south, leaving Wreav's territory and passing through another warlord's...and everywhere more Tomkahs and other vehicles had joined their caravan, dozens, then _hundreds_, of transports. They had reached Wrex's lands, his capital, a restored village, built within the broken ruins of what had once been a city.

The ruined city was now alight with celebrations, Krogan from dozens of clans having gathered, old grudges forgotten as they hailed their future, a dawn _free_ of the Genophage. The village itself was brimming with the officers, shamans and warlords, enough to fill it, too many for even the main chamber...a chamber filled with the sounds of celebrating Krogan, the smell of alcohol and the sound of breaking glasses.

How many toasts had been made in his honour by now? Twelve? Wrex had even more to his name, even _Mordin_ had earned a grudging one...though forced by Wrex. Each toast for him had made Michael ever more ashamed, each for Wrex had made him feel more hesitant about his plans...and the one for _Mordin_...it had been a real struggle not breaking down right there and then.

He had already done his preliminary moves, unable to truly comprehend what he was doing...or perhaps not daring to think on it.

Liara and Javik had remained on the battlefield, using Liara's Shadow Broker resources and Javik's knowledge to properly dispose of the Reaper corpses to avoid passing Krogan from being indoctrinated. Michael had even convinced Grunt to assist them and as such learn how to do it himself...but in actuality it was to keep Wrex's finest company of men away from the celebrations...

Kaidan had not only been put in charge of informing the Council of their new alliance with the Krogan – perhaps it was a bit presumptuous, but it kept him away – but Michael had put him and EDI on analysing the battle with the Reapers to see if they could gain any new intelligence on how to beat them.

Garrus had also been sent away, there was much to do, after all, in fact, Michael was planning a charm offensive against the Asari since Liara had learnt they needed some help. Mostly though, Garrus was busy talking to Victus and arranging the details around the Krogan aid to Palaven. Not only did the Krogan lack transports and supplies to reach Palaven, but there were dozens upon dozens of logistical details that needed to be worked out, and Garrus had the motivation to get them all done quickly and efficiently.

It also kept him on the Normandy, away from the celebrations, from Michael, from _seeing_...

Sighing, Michael poured himself a new glass from the dirty tap by one of the many tables lining the walls of the main chamber, the blue drink becoming covered in thick yellow foam. _I shouldn't, I need a clear head for_..._this_. Michael glanced back, for what had to be twentieth time.

He easily found Wrex, the Krogan towered over his brothers in arms. He was making a circuit around the chamber, speaking to the various warlords, reassuring himself of their loyalty, reminding them of who their lord was. Yet the Krogan's gaze was never far from Michael, those big eyes watching him, _judging_ him...

Michael shuddered under that gaze, feeling small as he offered a hesitant nod. With each moment he felt more and more sure the Krogan knew what he had done. _Yet_...there was no anger in Wrex's eyes, no searing rage, not even anything accusing in his gaze...just a great calm, almost something _soft_ in his gaze..._tired_.

That look was more painful to see than any angry roaring or drawing of weapons.

Swallowing, Michael looked away, as he had done every time before that.

_I_..._can't_..._I can't do it_...

He brought the glass to his lips, but found himself unable to tilt it, to drink, instead he grimaced behind the cover it offered as he squeezed the glass tight enough to make his knuckles pale.

_But if you don't, you would have killed Mordin for nothing, you would have lost more than you have gained_..._and the Reapers will have won_...

He squeezed the glass tighter, the hand holding it shaking as he stared blankly at the wall before him.

_It's Wrex dammit_, _Wrex_! _He_..._he was there from the beginning_. _And_..._dammit, not another one. These are the only ones that have been at my side, who have helped me, the only ones who I've been able to call __family_! _Without them I'm_..._alone again_..._empty_..._please_..._I don't want to_-

_You must_! _With Wrex there'll be no Krogan with us_! _With him the Turians will not help_! _With him, the Salarian aid will be less than you would have got with your betrayal_!

_Betrayal_... Michael nearly dropped the glass, feeling weak.

_Listen_! _The Turian military is more important than the Salarians'_! _The Krogans are more important than the Salarians_! _And you risk losing __both__ of them_! _You can't allow this_! _You __must__ act or all will be lost_!_ You must act or the Reapers will __win_!

_Shut up_! Michael gritted his teeth, slamming the glass back onto the table with more force than intended, making a crack in it as he breathed out through the nose. _Just shut up_!

Silence.

Michael hated it, the sudden silence in his mind...it was like a pressure building within his skull, threatening to crush it.

He squeezed his eyes shut, hands on the table, fingernails digging into the crude wood.

Then a puff of warm breath brushed against his neck...and Michael froze, heart stopping for a moment. Wrex's mouth was close, his words ever so calm, a low mutter. "Shepard, if you'd be so kind to meet me in the lower chambers, there's something I need to show you...and we need to talk."

Michael tried to turn his head, but all he got was a glance of Wrex's shoulder before he flinched away in guilt and resumed staring at the wall. A deep breath...and he managed to nod.

"Good, good..." Wrex muttered, a heavy hand patting Michael on the shoulder. "I'll see you there in a moment then...my friend."

Michael winced at the words, his mouth too dry to reply as he simply nodded.

Silence, Wrex's gaze boring into his back.

Then the sound of heavy feet plodding away, leaving Michael's knees weak as he struggled not to glance back at Wrex and show how weak he felt.

_God, I feel as if I haven't slept for years_...

_You must act, you must act now_.

_I just want to rest, I never get to rest_...

_He'll kill you, and the Reapers will win_...

_I'm_..._tired_...

_Act_!

Grudgingly, Michael straightened, mouth a bitter line, the rest of his face carefully neutral.

_Okay_.

Turning around, his face, now smiling weakly, moving left and right. His eyes were cold, his _mind_...somewhere else. His gaze moved along the many Krogan, dismissing warlord after warlord, until he found..._Wreav_.

The Krogan had worn a scowl their entire journey to Wrex's capital, and it hadn't changed with their arrival.

It wasn't hard to figure out why.

For all the toasts Michael and Wrex had received, even a _Salarian_ had received one, Wreav had barely been _mentioned_. No doubt it was to punish his near insubordination, to prevent him from getting too ambitious...but Wrex's choice of doing so had also made his brother _bitter_. Wreav had lost nearly half the men he had deployed during the battle, he himself sported a new scar across his cheek and had had his personal Tomkah torn into smithereens...yet there was nearly no recognition of that. The man lived in the shadow of his brother, and _clearly_ resented it, now more than ever.

Michael waved the Krogan over.

Wreav, in the middle of grumbling at another warlord, looked up, face coloured by surprise and irritation.

He moved closer though, head cocked to the side, teeth bared into a snarl. "What do you want, human? Want to describe your victory like the others? I was _there_, you know."

"And you did a fine job, too." Michael replied with what felt more like a grimace than a smile.

_Dammit, what am I doing_...?

_The only thing you can_.

Wreav snorted, clearly not caring about the words a human politician would gorge himself on. "I'm sure you appreciated having my men play targets for your Reaper buddies."

_Buddies_!? For a moment, Michael's hands closed into fists, the man almost hitting the command to activate his omni-blade. _No, he didn't mean anything by it, focus on what must be done_. "I did, and I'm still very impressed with not only your command of the battle, but by the sacrifice of your man up on the second Reaper. Never seen anything quite like it, you must have trained them into fierce warriors indeed." The words came easily, he'd spoken similar words back in the old days, back when he'd worn the mask of a perfect soldier, of a politician in uniform, playing a rotten game...

"Yeah, as any _true_ Krogan should." Wreav growled, glancing over at where Wrex had disappeared, then he looked back to Michael, narrowing his eyes. "Not that a _human_ would properly understand such things."

Michael's grimace almost turned into a _genuine_ smile at that. "You don't care for compliments, it seems, I like that."

"Not when they're _empty_, no." Wreav grunted, shaking his head as his eyes continued to glare at Michael. "What do you want, human? You're no friend of mine, you're _Wrex's_ ally." The Krogan nearly spat the name, making Michael arch an eyebrow, amazed at how forward Krogan could sometimes be. With any other 'civilised' people speaking like that would have meant a knife through the chest within days...but Krogan were different, up front.

_Be more direct_. Michael obeyed. "Yes, about that...I'm curious about Krogan succession...are you, since you're his brother, Wrex's successor?"

"It doesn't work like that." Wreav replied, making Michael sigh in frustration, only to find the Krogan cock his head to his side looking amused. "Of course, with my connections and power I can _make_ myself the next warlord in line for rule, _easily_...not that that is on the table..." He bared his teeth in a wolfish grin. "..._is_ it?"

Michael opened his mouth, but no words came._ I'm planning another murder on another friend_... The thought stole his breath away.

"Not that I'd _ever_ admit to planning such a takeover, especially not to one of his _friends_..." Wreav smirked, eyeing Michael with interest. If he understood the reason for the man's paleness, he didn't say. "So why, exactly, are we talking about this...?"

"Well..." Michael felt as if he was looking on his deeds from a great distance as he formed a charming smile. "...don't get me wrong, Wrex is an impressive Krogan, a fine leader...but what I need is a _warlord_...a pure warrior, if I'm to tackle the Reapers." Wreav stared at him...and his smirk turned into a wide grin, _that_ compliment hitting true. "I believe _you_ are the man for the job."

"Ah..." Wreav nodded. "...and you think that's enough to make me speed up my plans? To risk having all my preparations made for naught? I only get _one_ chance at the throne, why would I risk it because _you _think I should?"

_God, what am I saying_? "And if I'll help you? He trusts me, wants to be alone with me in the lower chamber right now...I could make it happen _today_." _Dammit, stop this madness_!

"Sure, that would be _real_ nice...but not enough for me to make war on the Reapers for _you_..." Wreav shook his head. "Your deal for the cure was with _Wrex_, not me." He grinned. "In fact, without the Genophage...why should I care what you say? The Krogan will rise again, powerful like never before, and I'll sweep away the Council and their people in a sea of blood..."

_Brute_... Michael bit down, refusing to show his disgust...and given how swiftly he once more barred his mind from the actions of his body, it was easy. "I don't _care_ about what happens later. My concern is the _Reapers_, so if you think to scare me with your plans, you're mistaken. As to why you would help me...the Reapers _must_ be destroyed, you know this, I'm sure." Wreav regarded him suspiciously, obviously not sold on that alone. "And while you fight them, you're not only building the Council's trust, making them less suspicious of you, but you will also be building your strength with your many new Krogan and their weapons. So if join me in this war, later, you will-"

"Have a larger army and surprise on my side..." Wreav finished with a grin...only for the grin to fade a moment later. "And why would I trust you in this? You'll warn the Council, or _something_."

"Why would I do that?" Michael's smile disgusted him, as he looked at it as if from a distance. "During the Reaper war I can't afford division, and after it'll be too late anyway. And even if it wasn't, I have no need to do so, we would be allies, wouldn't we?"

Wreav grinned, the amused glitter in his eyes too readily showing what a fool he thought Michael to be. "Yeah...allies..._together_, we'll dominate this galaxy." _You think you'll trick me and betray me when the war is over, but you don't know I've already betrayed you_... If Michael hadn't been so horrified with himself, he would have felt smug in the face of Wreav's obviously planned treachery. "Still, Wrex got his cure in exchange for his help, and I-"

"_Of_ _course_." Michael smiled while gently clapping his hands together...and something within him recoiled at his smoothness. "I don't expect you to accept this deal without some incentive that's more..._tangible_." He raked his brain for something fitting, it wasn't hard, after all, once the war was over and the Krogan even more diminished while realising their cure was a lie, the deal would without a doubt fall apart. "Given that you would be saving _Earth_...well...humanity will be in your debt, and with your people in need of expanding I'd say you more than deserve a reward in the form of...oh, I don't know...Eden Prime?" Michael was in no position to make such promises, but that didn't matter...and Wreav's widening eyes told him the Krogan hadn't thought of that.

For a moment, Wreav didn't say anything, his eyes on Michael as he tried to assume a neutral look. Michael saw through it though. He saw ambition, greed, and blood-lust. _He'll do for the war, a good replacement for Wrex_. Michael curled his toes, forcing himself not to show any discomfort. _Shut up_... Finally Wreav nodded, offering his hand. "Very well then, seems we understand one another, human."

Michael took the hand, grimacing at himself for what he was doing, though it only made Wreav grin as he thought it was from the pain caused by his strong grip. "It seems we do..." All too eagerly, Michael pulled his hand back, but again, Wreav didn't seem to notice his discomfort, too absorbed in his plans, as he was. "Now, if I'm supposed to be the one to do this, I'd like to _not_ be arrested by guards, there's no deal then..."

"Heh, yeah, I figured as much." Wreav grinned. "Don't you worry, I might not have everything in place to deal with Wrex directly, but I can get him alone with you...you take care of him, I take control of the Krogan, you get your war machine, and later I get my planet." Wreav paused, then smiled. "And, of course, my alliance."

"Of course." Michael's face moved into a smile and he offered a slight bow. "How will you handle the...fallout for this?"

"_Obviously_ an assassin from the STG was sent to murder our beloved leader as revenge for curing the Genophage." Wreav chuckled. "But I'll vow to complete his work, to _honour_ his memory...it'll be easy."

_Easy to kill and replace my friend_...

_Shut_ _up_! "You need time to prepare this?"

"No." Wreav grinned, hand coming up as his omni-tool came aglow. "You can go right away, just don't take too long, I can't keep the guards he keeps hidden away forever."

"Very well, I'll make it quick then." Michael offered another short bow before turning and marching in the direction Wrex had left, his legs and back stiff, something within him rebelling, thrashing about in protest.

_It has to be done, for the galaxy, to stop the Reapers_. _One life_..._one_ _race_..._none of it is too big a price if it'll stop the Reapers, you've said that before, now __act__ like it_.

_I know_..._damn_ _you_...

Moving into a dark corridor, Michael found himself confronted by a narrow set of stairs spiralling downwards. As he moved downwards, seeing nothing but a few inches ahead of himself in the compact darkness, Michael felt cold sweat run down his back.

He had killed hundreds of Krogan, but Wrex was a warlord, a monster of a Krogan. It wasn't as if that intimidated Michael, but it _did_ mean he couldn't hold back or hesitate...and _that_ scared him_. Not hesitating to kill your friend_..._how am I suppose to_..._not_ _hesitate_...?

_I hate this_...

His steps echoed up and down the stairway, unnaturally loud, made by a ghost, a wraith of death and misery.

_Get it over with_.

Reaching the bottom, Michael looked up at the chamber he was entering.

It was a strange room. Dark, a brooding air in it, as if the air seldom moved within it...as if time had forgotten about it.

The walls were surprisingly intact, despite them clearly being from an age before the Tuchanka holocaust. There were lines of square black sockets in the walls, iron rings attached to their middle. They practically covered the walls, numerous, nearly reaching the ceiling. More pieces of black stone, long rectangles, covered the floor, their surface uneven, as if once they had been carved figures, but were now worn down by centuries of trampling feet. In the centre, there was a group of black chests arranged like a star, jutting outwards and facing the centre where a lone black pillar of obsidian rose.

It was a mausoleum.

Michael froze, a distant memory calling to him. Wrex, telling a story, a dark and horrible story, of treachery, of death...all hidden behind a mask of stoicism.

Michael didn't think it possible, but he somehow found himself go even paler.

Wrex was standing facing away from him, hands behind his back, fingers sliding over the shotgun there as he regarded the black pillar, as if it somehow contained the answer to some question he had posed.

_Attack, kill him, kill him now_! _You have to save the galaxy_!_ Do it before he can draw his weapon_!

He didn't obey. Instead, he slowly moved forward, steps slow and hesitant, unwilling to properly carry him into the room.

Being there...it felt like sacrilege.

He came to a stop, the scraping of his boots coming to an halt.

Silence.

The silence of danger.

The silence of death.

"My father is buried here." Wrex suddenly said, the words making Michael flinch. "His men buried him here..." He nodded over to the chest to his immediate left. "...after I had slain him." A slow shake of his head. "Of course, I had to leave too soon to be there for the funeral. Not that I _wanted_ to be there, in fact, they always expected me to dig up his bones and throw them to the wind when I returned." Another shake of his head. "But what would the point of that had been? Revenge and feuding is what brought the Krogan to where they are now, I wanted to show them that I, and by extension they, are past such things."

Silence.

A small chuckle escaped Wrex...and his hands dropped limp to his sides, foot rising up to rest on the chest as he shook his head at it. "But we're never past it, are we? Not truly? You can never escape your past, can you?"

The words rang far truer than Wrex could ever understand, Michael's old life haunting him with ghostly pictures and whispers. He turned his head away, a ragged breath escaping him. _This isn't right, this isn't how it's supposed to go_..._we_..._we were supposed to_..._I don't even know any more_...

"The Krogan..." Wrex's tone was so _calm_...so at ease...it was _frightening_. The Krogan turned to face him, hands still at his side...and there was not a hint of anger or even bitterness in his face, only an eerie calm. "...owe you a great deal. You have _saved_ us."

Michael winced at the words, turning his head away. "I...I don't deserve such praise." His voice was barely a whisper, a throaty sound he didn't recognise.

A grunt, neither angry, nor amused, escaped Wrex. "Oh but you do, you got me my family armour back, gave me back my hope for a future of the Krogan..." _Stop, please_. Michael shifted where he stood, each word a barb poised at him. "...I offered my people to you, for I knew I could trust you with them to stop the Reapers..." _Please_! "...and then, on top of it all, you cure the Genophage..." _God_, _mercy_! But there was no mercy in Wrex's words, calm and cold like rolling steel. "...you deserve every bit of praise, for _all_ you have done for us."

Michael could bring himself to answer, instead he bit his lower lip, shoulders shaking.

"So I think it's fitting that I thank you, here, by the bones of my father..." Michael looked up, tensing as he found himself meeting Wrex's gaze. The eyes he met were calm...and now that truly looked into them, Michael saw...dejection, weariness, the Krogan having..._given_ _up_. Michael blinked, the sudden attack of tears nearly blinding him. "...it's..._good_ to see an end to this, to finally _rest_."

Michael blinked again, the implications of the last word hanging in air.

Wrex ignored his stricken look though, momentarily clenching his fists...and then turning away, walking back to the chest containing his father's remains. "No alien has ever set foot in here before, I think it's fitting that you're the first..."

_Pistol gone, rifle takes too long to draw, his shield and armour will protect him_..._forgive_ _me_...

Michael strode forward, legs carrying him automatically, right hand closing into a fist. A flick of the wrist...and the omni-blade activated.

Wrex turned back to face him as he closed the distance, hands away from his weapon, eyes calm.

"...my friend."

The words where whispered...and accompanied by the crunch of Michael's omni-blade slamming deep into the Krogan's neck.

"I...I..." Michael's lips trembled, incapable of saying anything more.

The Krogan stood there, nothing in his face changing, only his eyes...a sadness in them as he met Michael's blurry gaze. "I know." The rumble was deep and calm, not those of a dying Krogan, but of one as cool and in control as ever...Michael found himself gasping. "You...have no choice, right?" The Krogan's left hand moved up, gripping Michael's wrist, holding it fast.

"Wrex...I...I never..."

"I know." The Krogan's calm veneer broke, a snarl appearing on his face. "You're doing what's..." Teeth barred, spittle escaped his mouth, the Krogan leant forward, bitterness colouring his voice. "..._necessary_...!" The grip on Michael's wrist tightened, making it twist the blade within the Krogan's neck...and Wrex stumbled, but remained upright. "Politics, wasn't it? You..._know_ we Krogan are people like the rest of you...yet...yet you do _this_..." Orange blood trickled from the Krogan's mouth. "...I hope it's _worth_ it..." A hiss. "..._traitor_!"

"Wrex...I never wanted...I..." Michael shook his head vigorously, but what could he say? Nothing.

"I knew this place would be fitting..." Wrex groaned, slowly sliding to his knees, making a trembling Michael do the same. The Krogan was looking right through him, eyes wide. "...where I killed my father, where the dream of a united Krogan died, and now...where the first Krogan since our '_cure_'...dies..." Slowly, he blinked, then looked back to Michael. "You'll regret this."

"I...I..." Michael shook his head, a sob tearing through him.

"You...you know...what..." Wrex began to sway, but his eyes remained clear, hard. "...what's the worst thing you can do to...a traitor?" With surprising speed, the Krogan's free arm shot up, a massive hand finding Michael's throat, his grip a vice as Michael gasped, suddenly unable to breath. Wrex grinned, blood dribbling down his chin. "Do...do you?"

Michael couldn't answer, blinking his eyes furiously to fight away the tears of shame and pain, his free hand at Wrex's wrist, uselessly trying to force the powerful grip off. He knew so many ways to break free, to manoeuvre away...yet his limbs were lead, his body not his own, a dead weight, refusing to move away from Wrex's commanding eyes._ And why should I_? _I've_..._done many horrible things, what's the point of going on when the galaxy makes me do these things_...?

Wrex's eyes were growing dim. "You..." The Krogan suddenly pulled his hand back, releasing Michael, making the human gasp, yet unable to take his eyes off the Warlord. "...you let him live..." A pale smile appeared on Wrex's lips as Michael's eyes widened. "...with the..." Wrex grip on Michael's hand slackened, the Krogan himself dropping to his side, voice a low whisper. "..._shame_."

A rattle.

Pulling his hands away, barely noticing his omni-blade dying, Michael stared at the lying Krogan, who stared back...though his red eyes were dim, empty.

Silence.

"W-Wrex?" Michael didn't recognise his own voice, nor the hands reaching out, the right one covered in orange blood. The next time the voice spoke, it was but a whisper. "_Wrex_?" He touched the Krogan, hands coming to Wrex's chest, nudging it. The corpse didn't react. "_Wrex_!?"

The grief hit him like a train.

Gasping, Michael doubled over where he sat, hands now gripping at the armour of the Krogan, as if it was a piece of driftwood keeping him afloat on an endless sea.

Then the shame hit him.

And Michael pushed the corpse away, as if it burnt, gritting his teeth as a hiss escaped him, body moving to shake himself back and forth.

_It's done, it had to be done_.

_I killed my friend_! _My second today_!_ And for what_!? _For politics_!

_Yes_.

Michael tried to get up, only for his knees to give, felling him back to the floor.

_I_..._once I couldn't even tolerate a lost man_! _I nearly went mad with grief over losing Ashley_!

Again, he tried, and again, he fell.

_Then I learnt to accept losses_!_ To swear to make their deaths mean something_!

He struggled over onto all fours, the room spinning around him.

_But what is this_!?_ I kill my own_! _How__ will I make that mean something_!? _How will I __justify__ it_!?

_Had to be done_.

_It can't_!_ You lie_! _It __can't_!

Silence.

_Lie to me again_!

_No, it can't_.

With a sob of sorrow, Michael threw up.

_I hate you_!

Silence.

_I hate you_!

_Then you hate yourself_.

And Michael nodded, shuddering, sobbing, his world spinning around him.

_Yes, yes I do_...

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for putting up with me._


	25. Chapter 25

"We'll be there in a few moments, sir."

"Thanks, Cortez." Garrus patted the backrest next to the shuttle-pilot's head, offering the pilot a quick smile.

His thoughts were elsewhere though, and though no one could say he hadn't done a good job of making the necessary decisions and preparations to properly get the Krogan support shipped to Palaven, he had done it as quickly as possible. It might be careless of him, though he didn't worry too much about it since everything had been forwarded to Victus, but Garrus had a more immediate concern.

He was worried about Michael.

The man had been nearly _sullen_ when they had engaged the Reapers, then barely celebrated their victory...it was unlike the man. And the way he had looked when he came back...it wasn't the man who faced a Thresher Maw on foot with a smile on his face, who faced the Thorian and battled an entire Geth army on the Presidium tower single-handedly...

_What could have spooked him so_?

Garrus hadn't been the least calmed by how quickly Michael had ordered them back to the Normandy either. Yes, the excuse that they needed to prepare the continuation of their campaign was a fair one, but it did _feel_ like an excuse. Surely they could have spent a few hours celebrating with Wrex and his Krogan, if nothing else but to cement their alliance?

And now, to top it off, the whole of Tuchanka had been roused in alarm, their celebrations dulled by the news of their warlord's death. _Wrex_... Garrus sighed, shoulders slumping as he moved to sit down in the shuttle. Wrex had been an old friend. Perhaps Garrus had never truly come to understand the quiet Krogan, but they had developed a mutual sense of respect and comradeship during their hunt for Saren. The Krogan had shown Garrus that his people were _more_ than simple brutes, he had been an ally and a friend...and Garrus somehow felt that not only had the Krogan been diminished because of his death, but that the _galaxy_ was.

_Today, a giant has fallen_...

Garrus wanted nothing more than to raise a toast to the Krogan at that moment.

But he had no drink at hand, and he had far more immediate concerns. With Wrex gone, leadership was up for grabs among the Krogan, which could well spell doom for his planet and people. Not only that, but Michael was down on the surface and though the man had called for a retrieval, Garrus was worried that the angry Krogan might spend their need for vengeance on any outsider they could find at the moment. Sure, there had been something on the transmission about an STG assassin, but Garrus doubted an angry mob would draw the distinction between a human and a Salarian.

So he had decided to go down with Cortez. Michael hadn't asked for anything besides the shuttle, but neither had he _forbidden_ Garrus from coming along...and sometimes one had to take the initiative.

_I hope he's okay_...

A hiss and a thud, shaking the compartment...and the shuttle came to a stop.

Garrus began to stand up and raised his head in time to see the shuttle's door open...and froze mid-movement at the sight. _M_-_Michael_!?

The Urdnot landing pad was a crude thing of welded steel and rusty railings, a few guards there dressed in the dark red armour many of Wreav's men preferred keeping guard. To Garrus, that was all a distant thing though, his attention solely focused on the man slowly crossing the few feet separating him from the shuttle.

Michael's dark armour was stained in a worrying way. His right arm, from knuckles to elbow, was covered in orange blotches. There was also something brown and grey covering the front of his chest-plate, something that even from a distant had a pungent stench to it. Worst was his face though, it was white as a sheet, dark rings under his reddish eyes, eyes empty of their usual spark, as dull as any corpse's.

With a thud, Garrus sat back down. "M-Michael...?"

No answer, the human slowly moving forward, finally stepping into the shuttle and closing its door with a weak push at its controls.

Silence.

Then the man looked up, weary eyes glancing over to Garrus, not showing a hint of surprise at the sight of him...slowly, he turned his gaze aside.

_Spirits, what's happened_?! _I mean, I know Wrex is dead, but __this_...? Garrus gripped the armrests of his seat tightly, unable to speak.

Silence.

Then the human moved over to cockpit's doorway. "Cortez..." His voice was a throaty rasp. "...take us back to the Normandy."

"Yes...sir." Cortez muttered, something akin to shock in his voice.

A weak wave of Michael's hand over the controls...and the door to the cockpit closed.

Silence, the man not moving, staring at the door in front of him as the shuttle's engines became active once more.

Garrus reached out, only to stop himself, finding something in Michael's stance forbidding him from touching the man.

Then, slowly, Michael turned around and with heavy steps, made his way to the seat next to Garrus.

A heavy thump...and the man was sitting next to the Turian, blindly staring straight ahead.

Silence.

"Hey."

Garrus shifted where he sat, staring at the human as he swallowed before replying. "H-hey..."

Silence.

"So..." Garrus grimaced, feeling something in his chest tighten at the sight of his friend in his current state. "...you've looked better."

There was no snort of amusement at the quip, instead the man next to him simply nodded, dead eyes still staring straight ahead. "Yeah..." A pause, a sigh. "...a _long_ day..."

Feeling himself get pushed downwards as the shuttle took off, before the artificial gravity could compensate, Garrus turned as much as he could in his seat, facing the other man, brow-plate pushing down low on his face. "Michael...what's going on?"

Silence was the only answer he got.

Frowning in worry, Garrus leant forward, ignoring the stench of the other man as he uselessly tried to catch Michael's gaze. "Michael...?" Not even a flinch registered in the face of his friend, Garrus might as well not have been there. "Come on, _talk_ to me..."

Silence.

The weak hum of the engine.

More silence.

Garrus sighed, looking away and cocking his head to the side. _Damn it, how to make him_-

"I killed Mordin."

_Wh-what_?! Garrus' head whipped round, eyes large as he stared at Michael, not sure he had really heard the words coming out of the man's mouth. "Wh...what did you say?"

"Shot him..." Michael whispered the words, eyes still straight ahead, dead. "...he wouldn't die though, tried to deploy the cure...so I shot him again..."

This time, _Garrus_ was the one who answered with silence, not sure what to say. _B-but_..._he's part of the crew_..._your_ _friend_..._I_ _don't_..._I_ _don't_ _understand_... His grip on the armrests tightened. _He was my friend too_.

"He...he wouldn't listen..." Michael hesitated, but his eyes remained firmly glued at whatever distant spot his dead eyes had chosen. It was as if his body and his mouth was two separate beings. "Wouldn't let us wait, we could have done it later, damn it..."

Suddenly feeling a chill creep down his spine, remembering the message about Wrex's death, Garrus' tone became chillier than he'd planned. "Michael..._please_ explain..."

"The..." A shuddering breath escaped Michael as the Spectre tried to gather his wits. Judging by his pale appearance, he was doing a poor job at it. "...the Dalatrass wouldn't have the Krogan cured...she...she posed an ultimatum..."

Garrus felt himself slump in his seat, all anger and tension pouring out of him, making him limp and tired. _Oh, Michael_...

Silence.

Then a shuddering breath. "A sabotaged cure for the Salarian fleet, troops and scientists, nothing else could convince her to help...I...what was I supposed to do? We need every ally we can get..." Michael took another shuddering breath, face unreadable, staring straight ahead. "...so I sold the Krogan out...but Mordin wouldn't _listen_..."

Garrus, feeling cold underneath his plates, swallowed down the lump in his throat. "And...Wrex...?"

"I had to do it...I _had_ to..." It sounded more like the man was speaking to himself than to Garrus. Then he blinked, looking up at the Turian, eyes bleary. "Wh-what...?"

Garrus kept his eyes steady. Michael was his _friend_, but dishonourable behaviour, betraying someone like _Sidonis_ had once done to him...he couldn't approve of that. "What happened to _Wrex_, Michael?"

"_Wrex_." Michael's neutral face finally broke, turning into a pained grimace. With a small gasp, he turned his head away from Garrus' gaze. "He _knew_...he just...he knew...I _saw_ it..."

Garrus tensed, jaw clenching in preparation._ Spirits, Palaven, my people_..._Michael_..._what have you done_!?

"I...I couldn't let him live...we _needed_ that deal, we needed the Krogan..." A pained grimace. "...so I replaced him, killed him..." Garrus' toes curled, the armour covering them gouging marks into the floor. _You_..._killed_ _him_...? "Now...the Krogan are with us, they'll save Palaven, the Salarians are with us, they'll fight the Reapers..." Michael's hands came up, concealing his face as a single sob escaped him. "...and I've murdered two friends to get it done..."

Silence.

Garrus just stared at the man, for a moment seeing a stranger.

Then he shook his head._ But is he really different_? _Before, he saved Maelon's data to make the Krogan more formidable against the Reapers, he overwrote the Geth Heretics to gain more allies versus the Reapers, this is no different, it's the same drive_..._the_ _drive_ _to_ _kill_ _Reapers_. _Yet the scale_..._it's different just the same. He's doomed an entire species to extinction_..._it's a decision no one should have to make_._ I couldn't have made myself do it_.

Garrus grimaced. _Or could I_?

Mentally, he pictured Palaven, seeing her on fire...and then expanded the picture, seeing world upon world on fire, the Reapers sweeping it all before them...

_Spirits, that's even worse_...

_But how far can one go_?_ If I save the galaxy, but kill all good in it, what's left of the victory but ashes_? He pictured his sister, gone...and grimaced. _It's never easy, is it_...?

Looking up, he found Michael staring at him, something earnest in his eyes. After a moment, Garrus realised what the man was yearning for..._forgiveness_, a few token words, _something_ to alleviate the grief and shame of what he had done. And Garrus found himself hesitating, unsure if he could or even _should_ give it.

Michael visibly deflated at that, body shaking as he was denied the forgiveness he craved.

"I..." Garrus quickly spoke up, trying to cover up his hesitation as he automatically tried to help his best friend. "...understand, I _do_. And if it's any consolation..." Michael looked back up at him, eyes alight with sad hope. "...I'm _grateful_ that you've saved this alliance, Palaven, my people...they all owe you a debt they can never repay..." He nodded, noting how Michael relaxed, if only a little. _He looks so brittle_... "And the Salarian aid is very welcome, I'm...I think I would have felt compelled to do the same thing, if I had been in your shoes." He shook his head, but the strategies of war knew no mercy. "It would have been...negligent...to not add them to our list of allies."

Michael nodded, slowly, disbelieving, hesitantly eyeing Garrus, sensing more was to be said.

Garrus took a deep breath. "That said...Wrex and Mordin...they were your _crew_, our _friends_..." Michael flinched at the words, but Garrus shook his head, he had to say these words. "...of everyone in the galaxy, _they_ were the ones who had your back, and you had their back in turn." He sighed, staring down at his feet as he shook his head. "It's a companionship, you know? A group you welded together with friendship and respect, where we've forged a trust between us all...right?"

Next to him, he heard Michael swallow.

"And now that trust is _broken_." Garrus continued, a hint of bitterness in his voice as an image of Sidonis flashed before him mind. Garrus might have let the man go, giving him a second chance, but he would _always_ associate that man with treason. Next to him, Michael winced. "Michael...if we can't even trust our friends...if we end up fighting them for the mere sake of survival..." Garrus forced himself to look up, to meet Michael's eyes...and in them he saw only pain. "...then what the hell are we fighting for?"

A sob suddenly shot through Michael's body as he squeezed his eyes shut, as if trying to shut Garrus' words out...and then another one as he turned his head away, letting his face drop into the palms of his hands as his entire body began to shake with his sobbing. "I..." Whatever he was trying to say was lost in another body-wrecking sob, the Spectre a private island of misery and pain.

Garrus sighed, hand coming up to rub his temples. _Dammit_, _Michael_...! His mind was still in turmoil with what Michael had told him. Was he supposed to be angry? Sad? Sympathetic? Look at it strategically? He couldn't make sense of it, not when it all had been dumped on him so suddenly.

Yet, at the moment, it didn't matter.

Another sigh, and Garrus put his arm around Michael's shoulders, pulling the man closer, comforting him as best he could.

In the shuttle, nothing but Michael's sobs filled the silence.

And Garrus held the man closer, grimacing as he said the only thing that could make sense of it all. "War is hell..."

Michael's voice was but a whisper. "Yeah..."

8

8

8

"Shepard."

"Wrex."

"Vakarian."

"T'soni."

Unable to continue with their deadpan greetings, Michael broke into a giggle, making Garrus smile.

They were back on the Normandy, more specifically, its lounge. The moment they had left the shuttle the pair had gone to the sick bay for the obligatory check-up after a mission. They would have loved skipping it, but Chakwas' frown was enough to dissuade even Michael from such an action. As such they had suffered through it, making excuses for Michael's stress levels throughout the physical...for both of them knew there was only _one_ way to cure such stress...and it was _not_ one a doctor would have prescribed.

So they had left the sick bay – very narrowly avoiding having Chakwas drag them back out of worry, as well as Doctor Michel out of..._other_ motivations – and now found the proper treatment for all their troubles.

Booze.

Sitting with his back to the bar with glasses filled with various drinks, Garrus had a good view of the entire lounge, not that there was much to look at, since they were the only ones there. Opposite him, sitting on a stool with his arms resting on the counter of the bar, Michael was still giggling as he held onto his glass, spilling some of its contents onto the counter in the process. "He...he always had to use our last names, and always so monotone...talk about a stiff!"

Garrus smirked, he knew Michael was more drunk than him, but he _also_ knew there was a reason for it being harder and harder to grip his glass at the first attempt. "Well...as I _recall_..._you_ used to greet us with our last names too..."

"_Hey_!" Michael waved his hand erratically in front of him, nearly knocking Garrus' drink out of his hand. "That was different...I was, you know...the commanding officer and shit..."

"Well I'm glad you're not my commanding officer any more then." Garrus somewhat managed to perform that wink humans loved to make before downing half his drink in one swig.

"Hey...hey...I'll command the shit out of you...if I want..." Michael snickered, head near the counter as he cocked it to the side, staring at his nearly empty glass from the side.

"That would be...awkward." Garrus chuckled, bringing his glass up for another swig. "Speaking of soiling yourself, I almost did when Wrex bit that human's head off back when we were hunting Saren, remember?"

"Ah yes. That was _disgusting_." Michael grimaced, but raised his head off the counter as he took a sip from his drink, only to grimace, push it aside and grab another bottle from the gathered group at the pair's side. "Ashley made him brush his teeth for an hour after that! Thought he would bite _her_ head off at the end..." The man took a swig from the bottle, an 'ah' escaping him as he pulled it from his lips. "She was lucky he had such self-controlled..."

"A Krogan with self control..." Garrus moved his glass up to his mouth, only to frown as he looked down on it. _Huh_? _When did it get empty_? He poured himself a new drink. "...he _really_ surprised me. Not that he wasn't everything you'd expect out of a Krogan warlord when on the field; bet he could have taken on Saren with just a butter knife..."

"He failed, remember?" Michael looked back up at Garrus, eyes bleary with drunkenness. "Saren dropped a building on him...bet that smarted..." He giggled. "It takes a Krogan to get _annoyed_ with a building dropping on you..."

"I remember." Garrus nodded, glad Michael wasn't focusing on the painful bit of the Virmire mission. He offered a chuckle. "It's why I don't _ever_ challenge you to hand to hand combat...tearing his mandible off and using it as a knife was sick...I _still_ have nightmares about it."

"Well..." Michael snorted, then sighed as he brought the bottle in his hands back to his lips, taking a long swig. His eyes were downcast, sad, when he put it back on the counter. "...I'm a sick person..."

Sobering up a bit at that, Garrus shook his head, annoyed that he so suddenly was about to fail at distracting his friend from his pain. Sure, they were telling stories of the two dead friends, but so far it had very much been a happy talk, not about how they have died. _Well_..._does he deserve me distracting him from that_? He took a swig out of newly filled glass. _Shut up, brain_... "Bah, that's nothing, remember that story Mordin had? How do you even kill a Krogan with a gardening tool!? As a noodle-armed Salarian, no less!?"

"It was a _Krogan_ gardening tool though..." Michael smirked as he raised a finger at Garrus, the digit swaying along with his arm. "...might as well have been _explosives_..."

"Ah...fair point." Garrus conceded with a nod. "He was just so damn _odd_ though, always busy with his work, science stuff he could talk your ear off about without you understanding a single thing..._or_ get word in edgewise..."

"Like you're one to talk...Mr C...Mr Calibrations..." Michael stuttered, a giggle escaping him before he took another swig from his bottle.

Garrus frowned, he felt drowsy, but still felt the compulsion to go and tinker with the gun. _It will need optimising after firing_... Noticing the clever look on Michael's face, Garrus shook his head. "That's...that's different, I made time for other stuff..." The man arched an eyebrow. "...now and again..." _Two_ eyebrows. "...shut up."

Snickering, Michael shook his head, then swayed backwards, nearly falling off his stool before grabbing a hold of the counter and pulling himself back...the snicker turned into a laugh. "Man, I love you...but I think you love that gun more..." A chuckle. "...I'm hurt."

"Laugh it up." Garrus snorted, taking another swig out of his glass, his head swimming for a moment. _Maybe_..._I should have picked something_..._weaker_...? "Besides, I might have been busy, but you could understand me, he...he was just talking nonsense..."

"Nah..." Michael smiled, becoming still, gaze far away. "You just had to listen properly and you learnt quite a few things...an interesting man..." The smile turned melancholy. "...interesting..."

Garrus held back a sigh. It was a fact that Michael had always made time for his crew, knew them better than anyone else, _cared_ for them...and it made what had happened all the more tragic.

Then Michael's smile turned into a toothy grin as he looked back to Garrus. "He did a good Gilbert and Sullivan, you know..." He looked away again, snickering at the memory.

Garrus shook his head, somewhat annoyed with how blurry the room turned when he did that. "What's a Sulli-van?" Michael's snickering turned into a chuckle. "Some kind of car?" The chuckle turned into a laugh, and Garrus laughed with the man, not entirely sure what they were laughing about, but compelled as the sounds simply bubbled out of his mouth. _You're drunk, Vakarian_...

"You know..." His laughter now a low gasping for air, Michael stroked a tear out of his eye. "...I hope I'm as spry as him when I'm his age...you know...relatively...that's like what, hundred and forty for a human...?"

"Don't we all..." Garrus snickered, left arm dropping down to rest on the counter as he raised his right one holding his glass. "...to Mordin."

"_And_ Wrex." Michael said, tone almost angry all of a sudden as he raised his bottle to strike Garrus' glass with enough force to nearly shatter it. Not that the human noticed, his head downcast.

"And Wrex." Garrus agreed, finishing off his glass as he watched Michael squeeze his eyes shut, tilt his head back and empty the bottle pressed against his lips.

With a crash, Michael's bottle shattered over the floor as the man dropped the bottle, swaying, he nearly followed, but Garrus caught the man's flailing arm in time and pulled him upright on his stool. Snickering, the human patted the grip on his arm with his free hand. "My hero..." Another giggle. "...I'd offer you a kiss, but I think Ke- I mean Michel would get jealous."

Garrus grimaced, as much at Michael's slip up as he was at the Doctor's interest. "We've already had this discussion, Michael. I won't have any of that drama, not this time around..." He shook his head, a small snort escaping him. "What's with those human women anyway? Are they all crazy?" Michael snickered even as Garrus shook his head a second time. "Back on Palaven I rescued a human tourist by running with her over my shoulder across a battlefield...the _entire_ time she was shouting at me and kicking me in the gut, then when I put her down she tries to _kiss_ me!" He grimaced, looking down at his glass as he poured himself another drink. "They're crazy, I tell you."

"Maybe it's just a woman thing...I mean look at those we know..." Michael slurred, grimaced, and then grinned as he waved his hand over to the bottles at the other side of the counter, only to knock three down onto the floor. "...all a special form of crazy..."

"Or a...what do you humans call it...a _redhead_ thing? The tourist was one..." Garrus frowned, for some reason that claim seemed to make more sense than it should be...

"Tali's a redhead, you know..." Michael snickered, sliding sideways atop the counter as with a frown of concentration he managed to grab a bottle and pull it closer. "...and she's _craaaazy_...so you're right...yeah..._craaaazy_ redheads..."

"She _is_?" Garrus blinked, surprised Michael would have told him something like that, as well as of the news. Michael nodded, looking very concentrated as he tried to figure out how to open the bottle in his hands."Quarians have...hair? Where do they put it?"

"Quills...quite stiff and..." A longing sigh escaped Michael, his attempts to open the bottle momentarily forgotten. "..._smooth_..." He blinked, then glared down on the bottle as his hand, trying to pull off the twist-cap of the bottle, failed. "The women have like...a bag at the back...guess that's why they have that cowl on the back..." A smirk. "...always...have to look...pretty...aha!" The bottle opened.

"Huh..." Garrus frowned...he'd always imagined the Quarians shaved off anything growing on their heads...and for Tali to be a brunette. Then he looked back up at Michael, grimacing at the man. "Maybe you should...take it easier with the drinks now...?"

"Nah...I...know my limits..." The other man slurred and tilted his head back before putting the bottle to his lips.

A moment later he lay on his back on the floor, the bottle pouring its content out across the floor as it rolled away towards the gaming corner.

For a moment, Garrus just stood there, blinking at the fast turn of events, then Michael gave off an odd snorting sound, rousing Garrus out of his stupor. "Michael, are you okay...?"

The only answer was a soft snore.

Garrus sighed, whatever bitterness he held over what had happened overruled by his affection for the man. "Okay, Michael..." He stepped around the counter, his steps slow and uncertain, the ship seemingly swaying back and forth. "...let's put your drunken ass to bed..."

Reaching down, he offered the sleeping human a sad smile as he gently lifted the man off the floor and started walking.

_Sleep well, my friend_.

8

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8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for all her kindness._


	26. Chapter 26

"_What did you do_?"

Michael stared down at his hands, finding them covered in blood. His right hand held his pistol, smoke lazily drifting from the barrel.

_I_..._don't_ _know_...

"_Old man, must fix my_..._my_ _mistake_." They were Mordin's words, but he suddenly _felt_ old, his shoulders heavy, threatening to drag him down into the dark pit below his feet. _No_..._not_ _a_ _dark_ _pit_. Below, he could see a grey and white planet...and he knew its name. _Elysium_..

He shivered.

_Must fix my mistake, make amends_...

The old need gripped his heart...and then tore into it.

_My mistake_...

He looked back at his hands, the blood there glittering accusingly.

_Haven't made it right_...

He stared at his gun, that crude piece of metal, dark and cruel like the hand that held it.

_Still a monster_...

He felt wetness on his cheeks.

_Still making people die for my own goals_...

Wrex's voice was a low murmur, the memory sad and poignant. "_You can never escape your past, can you_?"

Michael shook his head, taking a hesitant step backwards, mind rebelling. _Not true_..._not true_..._I'm not that person_..._I'm_ _not_..._I won't accept it, I won't_!

"**You have failed**!" Harbinger's voice boomed, confident, loud...and far too real.

_No_!

Michael whirled round, only to find himself standing on an all too familiar battlefield.

The verdant forest of pine trees was waving in a stiff wind, a wind bringing with it the smoke of a growing fire off in the distance. The hill was just as he remembered, the cliffs surrounding it making a perfect bottle-neck, the heavy boulders excellent cover...and all of it nearly pointless against the horde coming up the slope. Batarians, hundreds of them, crude armour covered in blades, teeth bared in snarls as they slowly battled their way up.

The bunker behind him lay open as a few wounded men tried to make it in, only to fall by a rogue grenade, spraying the doorway with their insides as the civilians deep within wailed in horror at the sound. Below the bunker, men, soldiers and civilians he'd fooled into fighting, lay behind the cover of the boulders, mangled corpses mixing with the bodies of the wounded and the screaming. No order left, only terror, no fight left in those he'd lead to their death.

The Batarians came ever closer. Michael recognised one, the large alien's armour a dark green...and his mouth open in a laugh as he threw an incendiary grenade, making a civilian who'd thrown his gun away hours ago but remained cowering behind his rock, scream and flail as he jumped to his feet...making those following the large Batarian laugh with him as they watched the burning human.

He saw himself, unable to spare the screaming man even a bullet, jump from cover to cover, tears streaming down his face, eyes wide with horror and fear of what would happen, what he had done.

Michael was still fighting though, and his rifle stitched a line up the large Batarian's armour before splitting his face in two.

It was just one of hundreds.

An endless battle, and everywhere, carnage ruled.

The defenders lay dead or dying, their blood making tiny rivers as it poured down the slope.

The Batarians too were dying in droves, trying to advance, only to be met by a plethora of grenades and weapon fire as the lone human above moved from position to position, using the weapons of his fallen men to fight the enemy, rather than wait for them to cool down from the overheat.

It was impressive.

_But not enough, it was all pointles_s..._we never had to fight_...

Michael stared at his younger self, saw the helplessness in the man's face...and found himself mirroring it.

"**You are a sickness**."

Michael turned, closed his eyes, and ran.

And then gasped as something gripped his throat, pulling him off his feet.

He opened his eyes, and found himself staring into Wrex's gaze, the Krogan's red eyes dim and his throat and chest covered in his blood, blood still pouring out of the wound in his neck, yet he didn't seem to even notice it. "_You know what's the worst thing you can do to a traitor_?"

Gasping for air, Michael tried to answer, but he couldn't, he was powerless.

Then Wrex turned his head...and Mordin walked into view, the Salarian's chest covered in green blood, eyes grey and dead. "You let him live with the shame."

Wrex nodded...and released Michael.

A grunt, and he fell to his knees, hands on his throat, chest heaving as he struggled for air.

_I'm sorry_...

He looked up, staring wide-eyed at the two pair of dead eyes looking down at him.

"_I'm_ _sorry_!"

Slowly, Mordin crossed his arms over his chest. "_You didn't hold the line_."

Michael winced, body swaying back where he sat, as if struck.

Then Wrex crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head. "_My friend, a traitor_."

The condemnation was like a second blow...and Michael fell backwards.

And continued falling.

Darkness took him.

Then, with a crash, he came to a stop, eyes opening wide in an anguished gasp as his body was crushed by the massive impact.

_Help_..._me_...

Above, the Tuchanka sun burnt brightly down on him, the dust of its desert choking his ruined lungs and searing his exposed organs.

Then, a shadow fell upon him.

Looking down on him, as if he was nothing but a squashed insect, Harbinger's massive form blotted out the sun, its yellow eyes boring into him.

"**You cannot win, submit**."

Michael's mind swirled with agony, his eyes darkening, all fight out of him.

Defeated.

_Doesn't matter_...

Then, his broken lips split into a smile.

_Except for all that have died because of me_...

His lips moved, his lungs rattling as he breathed out the last of his air.

"Never..."

The Reaper moved forward, a dark and omnipotent form descending on him.

"**Then you die**."

With a scream, Michael sat upright, eyes wide and body covered in sweat, making the sheets of his bed cling to him like a second skin. His hands moved up against his chest, feeling slick skin, _whole_ skin...a moment later his hands moved further up, fingers digging into his hair, the pain welcome as he clutched at it.

_It had been so real_...

He still felt the pain, the powerlessness...and the lingering feeling nearly made him retch. _No, I'm_..._that's not acceptable, we can still win, I'll __make__ us win_...

Sliding his feet round over the edge of the bed, Michael sat there, staring at the floor, taking deep breaths as he clenched and unclenched his fists, wanting nothing but to forget the dream, yet unable to think of anything _but_ it.

_I_..._think it's getting worse_...

..._at least this cured my hangover_...

He shook his head, realising there was a buzzing in the room. "Yes?" His voice was a croak.

"It's Jeff, he wishes to speak with you." Was there something off with EDI's voice? She almost sounded...concerned?

Shaking his head, Michael reached down, finding his robe where he'd left it and quickly wrapping it around himself as he forced himself to stand up, not at all liking how weak his knees felt. "Right, okay, send him in." He turned towards the door as it opened.

"Hey, boss..." The pilot slowly made his way into the cabin, moving even slower as his eyes fell upon Michael, gaze sweeping over the Commander's tousled and sweaty appearance. _Dammit, should have washed first_. "...what's up?"

"Isn't that _my_ question?" Michael managed a tiny chuckle. "I mean you came to me...what's the problem? Can I help?"

"I..." For a moment Joker seemed ready to say something, but then he shook his head, grimacing. "No, Commander, I don't need help."

Michael arched an eyebrow, sensing more was there, that the man actually _did_ want help. But he was just _so_ tired...the idea of more work, even for a friend...he _couldn't_ stomach it at the moment. _I'll_..._ask him about it later_. "So...why are you here then?"

"I'm...well..._worried_." Joker shuffled down the small set of stairs in the room, looking awkward. "You know our systems show the vitals of those on the ground..." Michael grimaced, as did Joker. "...and yours, well...they're nearly off the chart, even when _not_ in combat."

"There's been a lot of stress lately, Jeff..." Michael forced a crooked grin, trying to shrug it off.

"There's more..." Joker looked away and Michael felt himself grow cold. "...EDI has ears everywhere."

"So...you know." Michael sat down, nearly missing the bed, but not overly caring. _I'm so tired_...

"Yeah, well...I'm no idiot, nor are the others." Joker cocked his head to the side, face sympathetic._ I don't deserve that_... Michael turned his head away. "Figured _something_ had happened, EDI just confirmed it. I'm pretty sure Liara knows too, she looks all...worried for you, she was pacing near the elevator, think she wanted to go talk to you, but didn't dare." Michael smiled. _I have good friends_..._and am not worthy of even one of them_. "As to Kaidan...he's trying to launch an official investigation but Wreav is blocking him quite thoroughly, saying it's a Krogan matter...you might want to guard your tongue around the Major for a while though, he suspects foul play."

"So no change then?" Michael chuckled, but didn't look up._ He has every right to do so_... "I...you understand why I did what I did...don't you?"

Silence.

Cursing himself, Michael found himself turning his head to look at Joker. He found the pilot's face sad, but nodding. "Yeah, I get it...I _do_, hell, we've been through so much shit. I _trust_ you to see this through, no matter what." Michael grimaced._ I don't deserve it, dammit_! "I'm just...concerned about you."

Irritated, Michael stood up. "Thanks, but I'm _fine_, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Really?" Joker shook his head with a grimace, taking a step closer with a frown. "Seems more like you're burning the candle at both ends from where I stand..."

"Jeff, you're a pilot, I'm a Commando and one of the, if not _the_, Commander of the entire war-effort..." Michael growled, surprised with how angry he suddenly felt._ I'm tired of being bloody questioned_! "...I _think_ I have a _little_ more stress in my job. So yes, from _your_ perspective these are hard days for me, for _me_, it's _Tuesday_."

"Hey!" Joker raised his hands in placation, eyes widening. "I'm only trying to help-"

"Well I don't need it, I have Garrus for getting drunk when I'm tired, you are for witty remarks and skilful flying, _neither_ of which you're doing right now." Michael snapped, shaking his head. "I know you mean well, but I _don't_ need a reminder of my work-load, especially when I'm just out of bed. In fact, it's larger than you even _know_."

"I'm not saying-"

"I'm assigning special forces around the galaxy, reading and replying to continued reports of Cerberus activities from Miranda, doing god-damn fetching stuff in war-zones just to placate some jackass thinking his personal problem is more important than the war, just so I can get what I want." Michael took a deep breath, unable to stop himself. "Kissing diplomats on the ass, grovelling to the Asari, merging new allies with Admiral Hackett's forces, resolving leadership issues within the new allies, preparing the Krogan attack on Palaven, arguing with financiers to keep the money flowing to the army, writing tactical advice for _millions_ that depend on such information on how to battle Reaper forces, replying to _hundreds_ of messages about various crisis' that just _can't_ wait..." Another deep breath. "...and that on top of fighting enemies on the ground with all from my Revenant to my fists, never knowing just _who_ of my allies I can actually trust, drawing up strategic and tactical plans for not just ours but various other forces across the galaxy..." He gasped, glaring at Joker. "...and I do it _all_ without having had _one_ night of proper sleep!"

The pilot sighed, regarding Michael...and the Spectre tensed, annoyed with that knowing look. "Fine, huh? Normal work-load, huh?"

"I...that's not what I'm talking about!" Michael waved the stinging words aside with an irritated growl. "I'm saying you don't know what I'm doing! So you have no _right_ to criticise it!"

"But I'm _not_..." Joker shook his head, looking confused and very much concerned as he stepped closer. "I _just_ said I trusted you with this, I know you'll get it done. But as your _friend_, I have _every_ right to be concerned for your well-being."

_Dammit_... "I don't need that!" Michael snapped, hiding his tiredness from Joker as much as himself with a mask of anger. "I need to do my job! To defeat the Reapers!" He looked away, unable to face Joker's worry any longer.

"You're not in this alone, Michael, come on..." Softly, Joker put a hand on Michael's shoulder.

Before he could think it through, Michael angrily batted the hand aside.

A crack resounded through the room.

_Oh no_!

Eyes wide, Michael's head whirled round to stare as with a hiss Joker clutched at his left forearm, eyes momentarily squeezing shut. "Dammit...figured this would happen, been a month since last time..." A pained chuckle escaped the pilot.

"Joker! God! I'm _so_ sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!" Michael felt panic grip his chest and took a quick step forward, only to recoil back in guilt as Joker instinctively stepped away from the man that had just broken his arm. "I..._shit_! How can I help!?"

"No need..." Joker hissed, still holding his arm, but at least standing steady and with his eyes fully opened. "...I'm used to it, this stuff happens, don't worry about it..."

He might as well have told Michael to stop breathing. "Damn, we need to get you to the sick bay!" Michael didn't like the hint of panic in his voice, panic tinged with guilt and shame. "Let me help you, at least."

The pilot just waved off his offer of assistance though, smiling through gritted teeth. "Nah, I got this, I'll get the old crone up to help me...stop worrying." Michael grimaced, watching the pilot turn and hurriedly walk for the already opened door. _Damn, this is how it feels like when your friend won't allow you to help_?_ Just as I just did to him a moment ago on top of breaking his arm_?

Michael grimaced.

_I'm such an ass_...

As he stepped through the doorway, Joker turned his head and smiled...and Michael's feelings of shame doubled. "Think about what I said, buddy."

And with that, the door closed.

_God_...

Mind empty, Michael sat down, gaze staring at the door, body numb.

And in the back of his mind, he remembered Harbinger's old taunt like a whisper.

"_And now you stand alone_..."

8

8

8

_Stupid_...

_Old_...

_Rusty_...

_Bosh'tet_!

_Pipe_!

Grunting, Tali twisted where she lay, her back chafing against a piece of wiring that thankfully was too dull to penetrate her suit. _Who did maintenance on this_? _Leaving wiring like this is a hazard_! Not that that was of a great concern, nor was the pipe above her, which _still_ refused to budge, it was connected to a section of pipes where water had been shut off long ago. _But to accept spoiling is to invite it, and inviting spoiling on a ship is madness_. So she continued to try and pull off the piece of rusted metal, intent on fixing the malfunctioning plumbing if it killed her.

To be honest, there were others that could have done the job, that didn't even need to be done, especially in the situation the Flotilla currently was in, but Tali _liked_ it, doing some mechanical work beat being an Admiral any day. For her, working with mechanical things was easy, you could either fix it, or you couldn't, and if so you replaced it, you found easy solutions, figured it out yourself. Being an Admiral was nothing like that, there were others with their agendas, both hidden and open, there were opinions and situations, there were problems that could never be solved, _especially_ when those you were supposed to work with were the _cause_ of the problem. Nothing was ever _finished_.

In short, being an Admiral _sucked_.

So she had decided to take a few hours of vacation, hoping nothing would interrupt her from a simpler job, of some private time, of doing something simpler.

_And you're doing a great job of not thinking about what you're frustrated with too_... Tali sighed, lowering her arms as she just lay in the small crawlspace underneath the decking of the Neema, frustrated with herself. She bit her lower lip in frustration, glaring at the grilled steel floor above.

She and Michael had agreed that they'd both do their best to prepare their people for the Reapers As such, just when the initial debate of who was to fill her father's chair among the admiralty board had calmed, she had come back to start it all over again. With her being familiar with all the Admirals and, more importantly, an expert on the Geth, she'd been voted into the board by three votes to one, given the plans of those who had voted her into the board, it was of little surprise.

Funnily enough, the one who had voted _against_ her induction was now Tali's ally. Admiral Koris and her were staunch opponents to their invasion of Geth space. Koris' opposition was very much idealistic, while Tali's had been more practical. With the Reapers closing in on the galaxy, they _couldn't_ afford a war that would weaken them, that is, if they even _won_ the war in question...no, going to war with the Geth went against all that Michael and Tali was planning. Sure, she wanted their Homeworld back as much as any other Quarian, but surely there were other options but war? Legion had proven _more_ than reasonable, there was no _need_ to rush into battle.

Yet she and Koris had been outvoted. Tali had always known Gerrel was a strong supporter of a full offensive, but the fire in his words when he'd spoken of retaking Rannoch had even taken her by surprise. Xen was also a given vote, she saw the Geth as nothing but malfunctioning software, and arrogantly thought nothing of the danger of trying to destroy them, as long as it meant new technology for her to play with.

Yet Tali had _always_ thought she could have convinced Shala'Raan of her point of view. Not only was the woman her _aunt_, but she took fleet safety seriously and _wasn't_ a strong anti-Geth supporter. What she hadn't counted on, however, was Shala'Raan's belief in that an Admiral was to serve her people. However admirable it was to to enact the will of the people, Michael had taught Tali that a leader was supposed to make the _tough_ choices, not the popular ones...and as such voting for an attack on the Geth, as the majority of the Quarians wished, just wasn't the best way to serve the people. Shala'Raan, of course, disagreed.

That left the votes, after a long debate and discussing with the Conclave, three to two...and the Quarians had prepared for war.

Tali had, grudgingly, helped. If she couldn't stop the war, she would strengthen her people as much as possible, ensuring a swift war and that as much of the Flotilla would remain intact as possible...not to mention that she hated the idea of more people dying because of 'her' decision...especially when it _wasn't_! So she had designed a new type of grenade, upgraded the live ships with cannons, managed to upgrade the shields of almost all the ships of the heavy fleet and even redesigned a small frigate of theirs with a limited form of the Normandy's stealth engine from which the admirals could command the battle in relative safety. She had also helped Xen design an anti-Geth personnel weapon as well as double-check their hidden ace, Xen's Geth-disrupting signal, meant to confuse the Geth communications, the very source to their intelligence and power.

She hoped it was enough, and that it was what Michael would have done, given the options.

_Michael_... Tali grimaced, that was another thing bothering her. When the fleet had started to move to Geth space, they had ceased to receive and send any communications, in order to minimize the risk of detection. So Tali couldn't call him, couldn't tell him what was happening, couldn't _ask_ what was happening. For all she knew, the Alliance had locked him away for life now...or that he was dead.

Gritting her teeth, Tali blinked away a tear threatening to appear. _No, that won't happen, he'd never __let__ that happen_..._and_ _I have enough on my plate without worrying about him_.

It was true, for right now the Admirals were at each other's throats. Xen's work was being questioned by Koris and Gerrel, Koris' and Shala'Raan's commitment questioned by Gerrel and Xen, Gerrel's tactical skills questioned by Xen, Tali's and Koris' talk of retreat going ignored...

It was a mess.

Their initial attack had gone well enough. With Xen's counter-measures, the Geth had been in total confusion, many ships unable to even power shields or shoot back when the Quarian fleet had barrelled through the Geth-controlled systems. Old colonies had been liberated, the Geth on the surface rapidly overcome as their fleets were destroyed or chased off. Tali had dared hoped for a victory. It was a shame, considering Legion, but she could live with it, as long as it meant a swift victory with few losses in life, Tali could bear the loss of a chance to talk things out.

But then, as they reached the Tikkun system and got to see Rannoch on their systems for the first time in decades...something had happened. A signal, too advanced to decrypt, had filled the system, and the Geth ships had suddenly started to ignore Xen's counter-measures, in fact, they had fought with a vigour and skill that they'd _never_ shown before.

That's when the Admirals had started arguing.

A few probing attacks had been launched, Intel gathered at the costs of hundreds of lives...and then they had launched their attack on the Geth flagship, to disrupt the source of the signal.

That day they had lost half a million people, three percent of the entire Quarian population, gone in a matter of hours.

The day after had not been a bright one, with everyone at each others throats, unsure what to do, angry, frightened.

They had made a tactical withdrawal, but only as much as Gerrel and Xen thought necessary, not nearly enough for Tali's tastes...and the fact that Shala'Raan, _still_ citing the people's will, had refused to change her vote into one for a retreat, left a bitter taste in Tali's mouth.

So they were trying new things now, improvising, apparently set on winning the war completely, or die trying. _Which just might happen_... Tali squeezed her eyes shut, shuddering in horror at the thought. She was aware of the strategical situation, the Geth were pushing further out from the Homeworld, carefully manoeuvring within striking distance of the Mass Relay...and once there, any retreat from the system would lead to mass casualties for the Quarians. Their initial successes had ultimately put the Quarians in a trap, they were too far away from the rest of galactic society for hope of any aid, and with their one super-weapon against the Geth effectively neutralized, they had no resources or territory to fall back on. Their all or nothing attack was rapidly turning towards a nothing...

Shuddering, Tali found tears streaming down the sides of her face. _It wasn't supposed to be like this_..._I don't want my people to die_..._I should have argued harder, or made more weapons, tried to enlist people outside the Flotilla to help_..._I've dragged my people to their deaths_...

A small sob escaped her, making her shut off her speech-unit, no one knew where she was, but the last thing she wanted was for someone to find one of their Admirals crying. _Ancestors_..._give_ _me_ _a_ _sign_...

There was no answer, only the chugging of a bad air-filter, making her sob again. _We've been such fools_...

_Dammit, why isn't Gerrel listening to me_? _We __need__ help_..._we need to send our command ship, find aid, __something_. Tali had already in secret tried to send a message to Legion, but when before there had been at least some dialogue between them, there were no answers, either the Geth weren't receiving the messages, or they was ignoring them...Tali didn't know which option was worse. _If the __Geth won't listen, we must either win, or manage to escape_..._and we can't do either on our own_...

_Dammit_! With a growl, Tali punched the grilled floor above her, welcoming the pain as her knuckles struck steel. _No_!_ This is not how it ends_! _Gerrel must listen to me_!_ I'll move to get us to send for aid, I won't budge this time, not an inch_! The decision felt good, _right_, she might not be the best leader of troops, but Tali _knew_ the truth when she saw it, and she knew she had to act on it, or see her people die because of her inaction. _That won't happen, I'll have us find someone that could help, someone that could make this end with my people surviving_...

Automatically, her thoughts went to the one person she _knew_ could do that. The picture of her love appeared before her eyes, making Tali sigh and close her eyes, though the image remained before her, burnt into her retina.

_Michael, where are you_...?

8

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8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for not killing me._


	27. Chapter 27

It had been two days, yet Michael was still angry.

_He denied helping me_! _I can't believe it_!

Hand holding on to the rail above his head, Michael glared at the door of the shuttle before him, willing it to open so he could get to kill something.

_And he didn't even have a legitimate excuse like Miranda and Thane either_!

Behind him, the rest of the squad sensed his anger. He could sense it by their silence and a nervous shuffling by those who'd been in his squad before. All except for Kaidan, whose eyes had followed Michael ever since their mission on Tuchanka, it was a wary gaze, one with a question the man didn't quite dare ask. But Michael wasn't about to volunteer information, so the other Spectre could _stay_ wondering if he should to be righteously indignant or not for all Michael cared.

_Looking out for his pregnant girl_..._what kind of excuse is that_!? _Once on the Crucible they don't need a babysitter_!_ We need him out with me, fighting the Reapers_!

He tensed, gritting his teeth and gripping the railing tighter as the shuttle began to slow its descent.

_He's just like the rest, thinking there'll be a day after the war with the Reapers, not willing to give it __all_. _No better than the Dalatrass, like Wreav, or even Mordin and Wrex, all thinking of the day __after__ the Reapers have been beaten_..._don't they understand that there might not __be__ one_!? _That unless we give body and soul to this war, we'll just be another cycle of bones and ruins for the next to find_!? _But no, they think they can get away with being selfish, that we can afford to think of our own wants and needs, it'll be our undoing_!

_Stupid Jacob_..._I thought he knew better_..._at least we got some Cerberus scientists to help us out of it_. Michael was sure Hackett would put the people Michael and his team had saved to good use. Not only could some initial questioning weed out any potential spies, but could also give them information about Cerberus' operations, not to mention that Cerberus recruited some of the best out there. Those that had left the group out of fear for what the Illusive Man was doing would be a great help on the Crucible project.

Of course, that victory was somewhat ruined by Kaidan who as usual was protesting against going after Cerberus and so 'losing track of our goal'...and then _completely_ ruined by Jacob deciding that the war with the Reapers was a great time to stop fighting and start being a _family_ _man_...

Michael still fumed at the idiocy of his former crew-member's decision as with a thud, the shuttle came to a stop.

Michael didn't draw his Revenant, instead he reached for the small of his back. With the Asari temple as it was, Michael had seen the blueprints, he'd eschewed his Raptor for a shotgun – with the Revenant being his back-up along with the customary Eagle – and since there were a few longer distances in the temple, he'd gone for the smooth-looking yet ever so flexible Disciple shotgun, capable even at longer ranges as well as up close. _Guess it's fitting, an Asari weapon for an Asari-saving mission_. He glanced back at Liara, finding the woman's face revealing her tension and worry. _Though_..._it's not really a mission about saving them, is it_? _Eugh, Morinth was bad enough, a whole temple full of Ardat Yakshi_..._what could the Reapers want with them_?

_This better be worth it_. Growling in irritation, Michael stepped out even before the shuttle doors had fully opened, eyes swinging left and right, _daring_ any husk to appear. _Can't believe I'm trying to convince the __Asari__ of the value of cooperation_._ Aren't they supposed to be the masters of that? Guess it's only when it suits them_..._they better appreciate this, I'm getting sick and tired of Tevos thinking the Asari can stay on their own_...

The small landing pad was empty though, a large shuttle lying on the far left and a small red car on its right. _At least this is a diplomatic mission in my tastes, one involving shooting things_... "Cortez, get to a safe distance and await instructions. Garrus, check the car, Kaidan, the shuttle." Not even turning to check if his orders were being followed, Michael strode towards the entrance, gaze sweeping up, taking in the sight before him.

Behind him, James whistled. "Wow, that's one _fancy_ prison."

"It's not a prison, it's a temple." Liara corrected, though her voice lacked conviction.

"Can the people within leave whenever they want?"

"Well...the keepers can..."

"A prison then." James grunted, though his tone wasn't accusing. "Though damn, with a prison like that, who'd _want_ to leave?"

Michael understood what he meant. The temple rose up high above them. Built like a tower, it sported the sloping curves of many Asari buildings. The walls were smooth and a greyish blue, the whole construct pleasing to the eye. And inside Michael knew there were several gardens, even a small indoors farm, waterfalls and various activity rooms; all to make the 'prisoners', as James had called them, comfortable. _Bah, I'm not here to judge the Asari, I personally know how dangerous a free Ardat Yakshi is, after all_..._I'm here to show them that they need us as much as we need them_. "It doesn't matter, we go in, find any surviving Commandos, set the explosives and leave." Realising how harsh he might come across, he managed a smile as he glanced back at James. "Let's show these Asari how _humans_ fight, eh?"

Liara snorted and rolled her eyes, but James grinned and nodded. "Yeah..." Then smirked. "...you think they'll be _grateful_ for the rescue..?" Liara's snort turned into a groan, making Michael grin. _Man, she still hates how her people come across_..._good to know, I could use some ammunition against the Shadow Broker_..._hehe_...

"Probably not to _you_, everyone know it's me and Michael who gets all the girls." Garrus quipped as he came to join them. The Turian quickly turned his attention to Michael, making the man wince at the hint of hesitation in Garrus' eyes as they met his. Garrus might have agreed with Michael's actions back on Tuchanka, but there were still something that had been tainted there. _The_ _trust_... For a moment, Michael felt _very_ tired. Garrus was speaking though, making him pay attention. "The car's empty of anything of note, in fact, it's _spotless_...maybe a rental? Doesn't fit more than three people though, so I doubt it was the Commandos who brought it...and the engine is still warm, whoever used it arrived shortly before us."

Michael nodded and smiled, not surprised but glad that the man was being thorough, he _had_ been a C-Sec officer before, after all. "Good work, maybe we're dealing with another party then, that might complicate things, but I'm sure it's nothing we can't handle, especially when we reach the Commandos." Garrus nodded in agreement.

"That might be a problem." Kaidan moved over to the group, concern wrinkling his brow. "The shuttle is definitely the Commandos', there's sign of a struggle there though, and a bit of blood in the cockpit." He shot Liara a concerned look.

But the Asari was no longer the innocent archaeologist he'd once known, by now she knew death, of their allies and of the innocent, and didn't shy away from more of it. Instead she frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "Just in the cockpit? Then the rest of them are still in the temple, though we might as well assume they're dead, if someone tried to reach the cockpit but was stopped. Though I'm surprised you didn't find a body, that's...troubling."

Michael nodded, trying to ignore the surprised look Kaidan was giving Liara as he focused on the problem. "Which means we're facing something more than a small infestation, as well as several unknown factors. Figured it was weird of the Reapers to send a detachment out here in the middle of nowhere..."

"Pull back and request assistance?" Kaidan suggested, turning his gaze to Michael, eyes shifting from expressing surprise to wariness.

Michael had no strength to care about that though, nor for the snort escaping Garrus at the biotic's suggestion. _Damn, if I could just get __one__ good night's sleep_... Instead he nodded at the red car. "No, that car suggests something else is going on here, as does the strength of the Reaper attack on a temple. Not to mention that any escaping Ardat Yakshi could make this war even more chaotic. We're containing this situation before it gets out of hand."_ Plus, I'm going to show the Asari they'd do best allying with us_...

Turning, he marched up to a large set of double doors at the front of the landing pad. They were carved with an intricate pattern of leaves...and one stood ever so slightly ajar. _Hmmm_... Stepping closer, Michael used the barrel of his Disciple to push at the partly open door, opening it further.

Ahead, darkness greeted him.

And then, something pungent, a smell of decay and mould that seemed misplaced in the otherwise spotless temple, struck him.

"Give me lights." Carefully stepping forward, Michael let his omni-tool flare up, the tool casting forth a cone of light ahead, quickly joined by two more as the so far quiet EDI and Javik moved after him, then more as the rest of the squad filed in.

Silent, the squad fanned out, then knelt, their lights playing across the hall before them.

It was a long waiting room, though fancier than most. Along the middle of the room there was a red carpet, its edges trimmed gold. It was also flanked by an impressive set of dark blue pillars that glittered as their lights played over them. Along the sides of the room, heavily decorated silver pots filled with various well-tended flowers stood at even distances, between which stood elegant benches of polished black wood stood.

Behind Michael, Garrus whistled in appreciation of the sight.

Despite the distress call, nothing was out of place in the room save for the lack of lights and the growing stench filling the hall...no blood, no bodies, no husks to stop them...nothing but the darkness and a prickling sense that something was wrong.

Then a sound reached them, making the hairs on the back of Michael's neck stand up.

It was a shriek, distant and unworldly.

"Right..." James muttered. "...I'm glad we didn't bring the black guy."

_Huh_? Michael turned his head, arching an eyebrow at the Marine, and found the others doing the same, questions written across their faces.

James shrugged, giving a little smirk. "What? Come on, at least Alenko and Shepard should get this. A dark temple, distant shrieks...this is a horror film in the making, and in those, the black guy _always_ dies first."

"I don't like the way you said _first_..." Liara muttered with a hint of humour, then she scowled as she shot the dark end of the room a glance. "...and that sounds like some sort of stereotyping, to be frank..."

"Perhaps, but it's the funny sort." James grinned, then shrugged. "Though I suppose you non-humans wouldn't get it..."

"_Actually_..." Garrus drawled, smiling ever so slightly. "...in _Turian_ stories there's always that one bare-faced Turian who earns the trust of the others, then usually sacrifices himself to save them all...it's a bit of a standard part of the plot in Turian action-movies."

"Prothean stories also spoke of sacrifice for the Empire, usually by some member of the lesser species." Javik volunteered, though his eyes remained set on the distant end of the room. "They were supposed to educate them in how they should serve the empire."

"How..._nice_." Liara grimaced, quickly looking away from the Prothean. She had gotten less and less excited about questioning the Prothean as of late, now to the point that she didn't seem to _want_ to know what he had to tell her. _Though given how much his stories diverge from what she thought she knew, and not in a nice way, who could blame her_...? "Though I suppose the Asari have similar stories of how purebloods manage to integrate into society through humility and self-sacrificing actions..." She grimaced again, her own heritage still somewhat painful...and Michael offered her a reassuring smile.

"There _does_ seem to be similarities in many species video entertainment." EDI agreed with a nod. "The summaries of various movies made by all Council races contain a similar sequence of words thirty-six percent of the time."

"So all species are equally unoriginal?" Kaidan asked, grunting in amusement. "That's kind of depressing, I thought we were supposed to be unique."

"Having things in common isn't something _bad_, I'd say..." Liara argued, sounding a bit miffed.

"Agreed, but let's focus on the mission, people." Michael grunted, taking a step forward, light playing over the door appearing ahead. "Now, ahead there should be a-"

The door exploded outwards, pieces of steel flying through the air, making Michael shield his face as a sliver of metal bounced against his gauntlet

"Holy shit..." James' mutter made Michael lower his arm, staring at the creature in the doorway as he heard Liara gasp in horror.

It was an Asari, yet not. Wispy, yet surprisingly large, the creature had to bow her head to step through the doorway. Her grey skin was covered in glowing blue lights, her stomach distended, as if pregnant. The rest of her was thin and gaunt though, as if someone had taken an Asari and stretched her bones and flesh to unnatural proportions without adding anything more to fill out the tautened skin, even her fingers had been stretched out, turned into long and tapered claws.

Her head was creased with lines, the usually soft-looking scalp-tendrils of the Asari having turned into sharp fins rising backwards like horns. Her lips had been curled back, exposing an uneven line of grey teeth that glittered sharply in the lights fixed upon her.

And her _eyes_...they were not dead and hollow like that of the other Reaper forces, they were yellow, cruel, predatory...and glowing like the burning embers...

"_Hunger_..._feed_..."

Michael blinked, shaking his head in confusion, then looked back up, intently watching the gaze of the monster before them sweep over the group...and then fix itself upon a paling Liara.

"_Feed_!"

Spreading her arms wide and leaning forward, the creature let loose a high-pitched shriek...and charged.

8

8

8

"Take them out! Capture the explosives!" Michael's shouted order was almost lost in the din of the fighting as he himself punctuated it with a kick to a Cannibal's chest, sending it tumbling back, while firing his Disciple into the gut of a charging Husk.

The creature's stomach exploded and the force of the shot sent it flying back, knocking another Husk over as the corpse knocked its legs out from under it.

The central chamber was a mess.

The Reapers had not only been capturing the Ardat Yakshi in the temple to turn them into their own form of husks – aptly named Banshees by Garrus – but also used those newly made Banshees to raid the surrounding countryside and the small Asari villages there. When that became apparent, Michael had understood _why_ the Reapers had attacked the temple...the Ardat Yakshi were not simply Banshee's, but they were Banshees with a warped form of their corrupt self still within them, and as such could 'turn' normal Asari into their own twisted forms...

The one who had explained that, and was still fighting with them, was flying forward, her biotic-enhanced punch tearing the throat out of a weakened Banshee._ Samara sure hasn't lost her touch_...

So they had decided to put a stop to it, the Banshees were filled from their last raid, their stomachs more swollen than they usually were as the creatures prepared to give 'birth' to a twisted form of what they had so recently fed upon. But that made them slower to react, and Michael was intent on using that to their advantage by using the explosives the Asari Commandos, now likely Banshees, had brought to the central chamber. With that one blast the situation would once again be under control. _Except that the Reapers have probably found at least a few Ardat Yakshi elsewhere, this war just gets worse and worse_!

Not that their victory was assured. Far too many Banshees had nested in the central chamber of the temple, and they were also joined by a detachment of Husks, Cannibals and Marauders. That combined with the lack of cover and the close quarters forced by the chamber's design had turned the orderly skirmish Michael had hoped for into a chaotic battle of confusion.

Still, the team were some of the best the galaxy had to offer, and them fighting on instinct was more dangerous than a whole platoon in Michael's mind.

So they had already fought their way across the mid-point of the chamber, down the long set of stairs to the bottom area...and then up again, coming ever closer to the explosives laying near the windows at the far side of the chamber.

Behind them they left a scattering of corpses. Marauders with their heads blown apart, Cannibals torn into pieces, Husks and Banshees...their black insides covering the floor and stairs along with their disgusting corpses. The biotics in particular had turned the battle exceedingly brutal. Samara, Liara, Kaidan and Javik didn't hold back, and their biotic attacks in combination had cracked and blackened the ground with the remains of those caught in the explosions they'd created.

At the rear, Garrus was giving accurate support in the form of Saber-rifle shots and concussive shots, the Turian holding the entire right flank of the room on his own as the plethora of Cannibals there were consistently knocked on their backs, while those still standing had their heads blown apart. Liara was not far off, the biotic's Phalanx glowing from firing so many shots at the Cannibals Garrus were facing while her body glowed purpled as she again and again hurled out singularities or warped the biotic barriers of the Banshees.

James was in the thick of things, the Marine punching the head of a Husk, turning it into mush, before levelling his Wraith shotgun and blowing a charging Cannibals torso clean off its waist with a single shot. Kaidan was not far off, the biotic setting a husk alight with his omni-tool before hurling the burning creature into a group of Cannibals with a biotic throw, the resulting explosion of fire tearing the whole group apart.

Not far from Samara, Javik stood. His teeth were bared in a defiant snarl...yet he somehow looked as if he was _enjoying_ himself as his Phaeston felled a Marauder with a concentrated volley before making three Cannibals uselessly growl as they were lifted off their feet by a field of green biotic energy. Javik growled right back at them as he systematically shot the helpless creatures to pieces.

EDI, like Garrus, was holding an entire flank on her own. The machine was nearly out of sight to the left as she overloaded the shields of a Marauder, shot its head apart with her Paladin pistol...and then spun, high kick breaking the skull of a Husk charging at her before she threw an incineration attack at a second. More Husks came at her though...only to be sent flying or burned to cinders as EDI's steel legs and fists cut through them like a surgeon's scalpel.

It was chaos.

_At least most of the Banshees in the room have been taken care of_. At the thought, Michael turned his head towards Samara, finding the Justicar facing the last of the monstrous creatures...rifle raised and ready as she shot the dead creature at her feet a glance.

And then how she fell to her knees, staring at the Banshee she had just killed, her voice as calm as ever as she spoke to the corpse, yet this time it was thin, _frail_. "R...Rila?" Michael froze, flashes of his old talks with her appearing before him...and the realisation dawning on him made him grimace. _Oh no_... Looking up, Samara's shoulders slumped, her lips trembling as she looked at the other Banshee slowly stalking towards her with a vicious grin on its face. "Falere...?"

With an almost graceful sweep of its hand, the now glowing Banshee hurled a white orb of biotic energy at the Justicar...and Samara remained kneeling, bowing her head, her biotic barrier dying in a small flash...and the Banshee hissed in victory.

"_Mother_..._hungry_..."

_No_! Growling, Michael leapt forward, his body suffused with fire and rage. _I'm __not__ losing another one_!

He leapt over Samara's head...and gasped as the Banshee's biotic attack struck him instead. His shield held, yet it _still_ felt as if a thousand needles of ice bore themselves into his skin, robbing him of his breath as he stumbled to a halt, momentarily paralysed. Somehow, the Banshee's grin got wider as she saw him so close, its slow steps unhurried as it reached out...

Michael fired his Disciple...and the creature staggered back, its barrier glowing white for but a moment, easily deflecting the shot. _Dammit, two shots left_..._is_..._is it worth it_? He glanced back at Samara, still kneeling, still refusing to fight._ I should retreat, even if it kills her, we can kill it as a team, and I'm important for the war_... Looking up, Samara saw the look he was giving her...and bowed her head, seemingly grateful to be allowed to die.

_Hell no_. Snarling in defiance, Michael turned back to face the Banshee, walking forward as an image of the Krogan on Tuchanka, stepping into the eye of the Reaper and behind its shield, flickered before his vision. _ I still fight, despite everything thrown at me, and so will you, if I so have to drag you into it_..._I make the sacrifices I __have__ to make, not those convenient for me, I will __not__ be the Illusive Man_!

With a nearly happy sigh, the Banshee's hands came down, gripping the neck-guard, the armour cracking at the power of its grip as it hoisted him into the air, the feel of its barrier sweeping over him a prickling sensation as Michael glared into its hungry eyes, making its grin widen. _You are not Falere_...

Behind him, Liara shouted out in horror, swiftly followed by Garrus shouting in alarm.

The Banshee's right arm let him go, sliding down, claws playing over his armoured abdomen as it prepared to eviscerate him. "_Feed_..."

_No_, _choke_. Growling, Michael pressed the barrel of his Disciple against the Banshee's arm and squeezed the trigger.

A hiss of agony and the Banshee stumbled backwards, still holding Michael with its remaining arm as the other fell to the floor, blown off at the elbow. It opened its mouth, an undulating hiss escaping it as the glow in its eyes flared up in rage...

And Michael shoved the shotgun into its mouth and squeezed off his weapon's final shot.

Instantly, he fell to the floor with a crack of armoured knees against stone. Before him, the Banshee stumbled, what almost looked like black ash pouring out of the back of its head as well as it's mouth, its remaining hand clawing at its throat.

Then, with a weak hiss, it fell onto its back, dead.

The chamber, so recently filled with the sounds of battle, became quiet.

Grunting, Michael pushed himself to his feet, hand moving up to check his neck-guard, not at all surprised when a piece came off. _Strong_ _creatures_..._should__ help EDI make an analysis later_..._might save a few lives that way and win us a battle or two if people know what they might face_. Behind him, there was the smallest of sniffs. _Samara_! Michael turned, and found the Asari staring at the creature he had just killed, at what had once been her Falere. _Is she crying_...?

She wasn't. Having been a Justicar for over three hundred years, things like emotions were nearly stripped from the woman. Yet somehow she seemed close to tears, her stance dejected...all fight gone out of her. _Dammit_. Michael looked up, gesturing at Liara coming over to keep her distance, he doubted nearness to another _Asari_ was what the Justicar needed at that moment. "Liara, Javik, keep a look out at that door, there's dozens more of those things prowling this temple. Kaidan, James, you're on the explosives, get them prepared and ready. The rest of you..." Michael grimaced, looking around the chamber, only now noticing discarded and torn piece of clothing strewn over the hall, remains of the Commandos, the Ardat Yakshi and those that had been taken. "...check those clothes for any identification or the like."

As the others moved to obey, Michael looked back to Samara...just in time to see her pull up a pistol and move it to her temple.

"_No_!" He kicked out, sending the weapon spinning away...and found Samara glaring at him, a look so foreign on her it momentarily made him take a step backwards. He swiftly regained his composure though, glaring right back at the Justicar. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing!?"

He could sense the others half-heartedly moving to obey his orders, while at the same time throwing him and the Asari curious and worried glances. He didn't care though, his attention fixed on Samara, a Samara who's voice was once again as calm as collected as it usually was. "I swore my Justicar oaths on the lives of my children, with them gone, I'm no longer sworn, I'm free to find peace in the embrace of the Goddess by-"

"_Bullshit_." Michael snapped, moving closer before dropping onto one knee, gaze holding Samara's. "You're hurting, _immensely_, and you want a way out."

Silence.

Samara held his gaze, glaring at him, mouth a thin line.

And he glared right back, not about to give in, not when her _life_ was on stake.

Finally, the Justicar turned her head away, shoulders slumped, voice thinner, _frailer_, the mask of calm shattered. "You have no children like me, you _cannot_ fathom my pain...I..." Her eyes drifted to the corpse lying next to her. "...I mean I _h-had_ children..." Something akin to a cough escaped the woman, her hands closing into fists that she pulled tight to her chest as she doubled over. "I never t-told them how...how _proud_..."

"Hey, hey..." Michael blinked, surprised how the corners of his eyes began to itch with tears wanting to break free. He reached out, hands on Samara's shoulders, pulling her closer as he rested her forehead against his. "They're not hurting any more..."

"But _I_ am..." Samara choked out, gasping for breath. "Please...just let me..." She reached for Michael's side-arm...

And he grabbed her arm, _tightly_, brow creasing in a stern frown. "No." Looking up, he found Samara baring her teeth in sudden anger, eyes narrowing...and he swiftly continued, baring his own teeth in a snarl. "And you know why? Because you don't have the _right_."

"Wh-what!?" The Asari under his hands tensed in anger, biotic energy coursing through her fists.

Michael stayed where he was though, not about to give in. "That's right, you don't have the right, you swore an _oath_, Samara, an oath to protect the innocent against the wicked, an oath you _cannot_ break." The woman before him growled, but didn't challenge his words as she settled for glaring at him. "The Reapers are more wicked than _anything_ you've faced before, and they're killing _millions_ of innocent at this very moment..." Michael paused, letting the words sink in. "...you _cannot_ let that go by unpunished."

Silence.

Then Samara turned her head with a sigh. "Please, Shepard, don't do this to me..." A lone tear forced its way from the Justicar's eye. "For over three _hundred_ years I've...I've done enough..."

"It's _not_ enough, it _never_ is." Michael snapped, hand on the woman's shoulder shaking her. "But people like you and I...we don't do this for _our_ sake, we take the pain and horror so _others_ won't have to, we don't act selfishly, if we did we would be bandits or mercenaries. No, we do what we must to save people that could _never_ understand what sacrifices we make...and sometimes that involves _pain_, a _lot_ of it..." He swallowed, Mordin and Wrex's deaths far too easily appearing before his eyes. "...but it's better than the _alternative_, you know this."

Samara didn't answer, instead she swayed where she sat, eyes closed and biting her bottom lip, shudders of grief shooting through her.

Michael let her go, arms limp to his sides. "So will you still fight? Will you defend the innocent as you should?" He sighed, his own weariness tugging at him, making him wonder _who_ he was asking the question of. "Or will you give up?"

Silence.

Then Samara opened her eyes, the tear forgotten, the pale blue eyes calm again, serene. "You are correct, Shepard..." She paused, throwing the dead Banshees around her a glance. "...though I will not say thank you."

"As long as you help with the war, you don't have to." Michael grunted, getting to his feet and offering the woman his hand to help her up.

She stared at it...hesitated...and then took it, hoisting herself back to her feet. "I will. I will protect the innocent..." She glanced over at the Banshees one more time, then turned back to Michael...and he knew she would never look at them at again. "...whatever it takes." She turned her head, looking over to where Kaidan and James working, and raised her voice. "Are the explosives set?"

"Err...yes..." James gasped, pulling something free from the heavy boxes, glancing at the little object before he looked over at Samara, looking uncertain even as his eyes glanced over to the two dead Banshees at the Justicar's feet. "...yes they are."

"Good, then set the timer and we'll be off."

Not throwing even a backwards glance, the Asari stalked out of the room.

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for all her dedication and hard work_


	28. Chapter 28

_Thrusters at full_.

_Heading ideal_.

_Shields charged_.

_Seatbelt ignored_.

_Boredom ensuing in five, four, three_..

Sighing, Joker slumped back in his seat. The Normandy was an advanced vessel, sensitive beyond what what most engineers would deem acceptable. She required care, a soft touch and constant supervision if she was to dance to her full potential. And that was without taking into account the various taxing missions Michael had them fly. The Normandy had ten times as much flight-time as a Frigate built at the same time, as well as various damages and repairs she'd endured.

Still, there was only so much one could do for her before even a pilot of _his_ calibre found himself with free time on his hands.

_Dull_ free time.

Sighing a second time, Joker rested his chin on his hand as he once more checked their heading...sure enough, they were at an ideal course for the Mass Relay, then it was a clear jump to the Petra Nebula, where Grissom Academy and its distress signal waited. _Yep, will save some kids, that'll be...good, I suppose_. He glowered at the controls, trying not to think of the message still lying unread in his inbox, he knew what it would say._ No, no it won't feel like enough, it's not her_.

To his right, there was a muttering.

"Huh?" Joker turned his head, tensing a little as the woman he had managed to ignore entered his world again. It wasn't that he _hated_ EDI or her new body, quite the _opposite_, in fact...but it just made him feel so awkward and confused, unsure what to do now that she was 'real'...or rather, finding the ideas circulating in his brain too alien to understand.

"I asked if you were okay." EDI replied evenly, looking at him with a hint of concern. "You have not spoken a word for the last two hours and twenty-six minutes."

"Haven't I?" Joker shrugged awkwardly. "Sorry, guess there's a lot on my mind."

"I hear that vocalising those thoughts is good psychologically, I stand ready to listen." The machine offered a pale smile, eyes darting up and down him, studying his tense posture.

Joker grimaced, he had vented to EDI at times before, but that had been..._different_, there had been some kind of distance between them, a void that made talking easier. _Now_, however, he felt tongue-tied and uncomfortable at the thought of talking to the...woman? Machine? Computer? He didn't know what to think her as any more. "That's...really not necessary, I'm fine."

"Jeff." The machine titled her head forward, eyeing him through thick lashes. "I know you."

He sighed at that, but couldn't well protest, she was right, after all. When the team was on missions, she was with him, when the others slept, she was with him, during the hours flying from Relay to Relay, she was with him...it was a lot of time to be together, to talk. "What do you want me to say? It's just been...tense as of late."

"I'm aware." EDI replied, lips thinning to a line as she cast a glance backwards, no doubt thinking of Michael and how he'd broken a small bone in Joker's hand. The memory of her reaction was by now more vivid than the break, Joker broke bones all the time after all, but EDI had been..._upset_ until Chakwas had reassured her he was fine...which had felt odd for Joker. Warm yet...frustrating.

"Hey..." Joker held up his hand, the thin rubber bandage around it hardly even necessary any more. Two days in a cast with a micro-injection of medi-gel and the bone was as good as new. "See? It's fine, it was just an accident, you know how easy it is for me to break bones, remember that time I slipped? Easily caught myself yet _still_ broke my wrist...that stuff happens around me, I feel more sorry for Michael than myself over the whole thing, honestly."

EDI pressed her lips even thinner at that, obviously disagreeing, but not about to argue about it any more. _Good, I was getting a bit tired with that, talk about protective_... "_Fine_." There was heat in her snort, which, as always, surprised Joker a little. "Though I don't think you should let him off so easily." The machine harrumphed, crossing her arms over her chest, which made Joker struggle not to glance down, much to his annoyance. Then she cocked her head to the side. "However, you are avoiding the subject, what's bothering you?"

"What isn't?" Joker grunted as he turned back to his controls, dropping back into his seat with a tired sigh, hand coming up to rub his eyes. "The Commander is carrying the galaxy on his shoulders, Earth is on fire, the Council is useless and we're going from one desperate battle to another to fight something that is overwhelming us at every turn. It's like plugging a thousand leaks with a single cork...the moment you leave to plug another, the water comes in again, I don't have to be Michael to be frustrated with that." He shook his head. "And have you seen Traynor? Poor girl is weeping every other day after filtering Michael's mail to get rid of the thousands asking him for help..."

"I offered to help her..."

"And she said no." Joker nodded, mood sinking like a rock. "I know, guess she feels obligated or something, that has to be rough, all those people using what little credits and contacts they have just to get a hold of Michael's number so they can send him a message asking for help. They all seem to think he can save them all no matter what..." Joker's voice died as he lowered his head, the thoughts he had tried to hold back coming unwanted at his words. "He can't though, there's not enough time..."

"Jeff..."

He smiled, but it was a pained smile. "Wonder if they turned dad into a husk...you think...maybe...someone will kill it? You think that'll...make things better for him?" He swallowed, words coming unbidden. "But hey, at least my sister was too young for that, right? They probably just killed her, right?"

"You don't know if-"

Joker turned his head sharply to EDI, eyes narrowing momentarily as he heard her trying to talk around the content of his unopened message. "Don't coddle me. They caught her transport, didn't they?"

EDI held his gaze for a moment, eyes wide...and then looked away, closing her eyes as she nodded.

Joker's shoulders slumped, yet the pain wasn't as overwhelming as he'd expected, he had already known it in his heart, after all. "Then she's dead..." It was oddly liberating to say it, making his head swim even as he shook it. "I...I'm a soldier, I might not look it, but I _am_...I know shit like this happens, and I won't bother Michael with it like all those people out there, there's a bigger picture." He sighed, closing his eyes tightly, swallowing. "But I still grieve, okay?"

"To grieve is to be human." Joker nearly jumped at the sudden touch. Opening his eyes and looking down, he found EDI's hand over his, gently squeezing it.

He looked up, and found her smile in sympathy...a small chuckle escaped him. "To be sentient, you mean? I've seen you grieve all that happens too..."

"I wouldn't call it grieving." EDI replied, not letting go of him as she cocked her head to the side and frowned. "But I find all this death to conflict with my coding, it is..._wrong_."

"Grieving then." Joker chuckled wearily, awkwardly pulling his hand free, covering the action up by bringing both hands to his face, rubbing his temple. "I...I'm just tired, EDI, tense and tired, we all are, there's not much we can do about that."

"Perhaps you need some time to relax?"

"Yeah, when we have time for shore-leave, I'll be sure to do that." Was Joker's deadpan reply, followed by a snort. He knew Michael wouldn't allow any shore-leave, and he couldn't blame the man, considering their job.

"You don't need to leave the ship to relax, I can easily take the helm for a while." EDI suggested, making Joker smile, despite the lingering grief squeezing his heart. _Damn, you're too good to me_...

"Yeah...not sure what I'd do; hit James for a game of cards?" Joker shook his head at the thought. "I'm...really not in the mood."

"Perhaps you need some hormonal stimulation?" EDI's words made him frown in confusion. "Perhaps you should masturbate?"

Joker's eyes bulged as he gasped out, completely taken off guard. "_W-what_!?"

"Masturbate." EDI replied, voice even as always. "It will lead to a release of hormones that might make you more relaxed and better disposed for the rest of the day."

"I...that's..._what_!?" Joker felt his face burn, staring at the machine as if she had suddenly sprouted a second head.

"It's been three weeks and four days since you last did so." EDI pointed out...and Joker's face turned crimson. "That's a considerable break in your routine, perhaps returning to it would help?"

Joker stared at her for a moment longer, down along her body, and then looked away, eyes wide as he felt his gut churn in confusion and embarrassment. "I...no...I couldn't do that."

"Why not?" The machine asked, sounding puzzled. "Has something changed?"

"Are you kidding me!?" Joker shook his head violently, throwing the woman a glance before looking away, face aflame. "I can't do that! Not when you're...you know...errr..." He looked even further away, voice a whisper. "..._here_..."

EDI shifted where she sat, voice hesitant. "I...have _always_ been here, Jeff, nothing has changed."

Joker squeezed his eyes shut, embarrassed beyond words. _God, kill me now, painfully if you like, but just do it_. "That's..._different_, I...well I didn't think about it too much...it's different now, okay?"

"Yes, it's different, but I'm still _me_, I'm still _here_, as I've _always_ been." EDI wasn't hesitant this time, she almost sounded...aggressive? "I understand that this has not been a seamless transition for you, but mentally I've always been here, the addition of another platform for my mind is only an issue as long as you _make_ it an issue."

Joker shot the machine a shy glance, finding the woman leaning over the armrest as she stared at him, lips a thin line, eyes surprisingly intense, making something inside him jump. "I..." He turned his gaze away, shaking his head. "...no, I can't."

Silence.

EDI's seat creaking as she rose to her feet, a tap of her steel foot as she took a step closer.

Joker tried to ignore it, but there was no ignoring her words as she took another step closer. "You wish me to assist you?" His eyes bulged, mind racing, wondering if she understood how that could have been interpreted. "Do it for you?" Joker coughed, lungs suddenly devoid of air. _Ooookay_..._interpretations just went out the window_.

"Errr...that's very generous of you to offer." Joker finally managed to croak out. "B-but that's not right, you're a _person_, not some toy for me to-"

The clicking of her heels interrupted him, his eyes moving over a steel thigh glinting in the light as EDI moved to stand in front of him. Further up, he found her arms crossed over her chest, her expression stern as she looked down at him. "Jeff...we need to talk."

Joker stared at her, mind blank.

Her eyes left no room for arguing though.

Uncertain, scared, and oddly excited, he finally managed to speak. "Errr...okay..."

8

8

8

_They don't look like as if they could turn into claws_...

Liara was in her room, her work momentarily forgotten as she sat on her bed, staring at the palms of her hands as her wrists rested on her knees. She felt...shaken...more so than she should, for shouldn't she, the Shadow Broker and an expert on what happened to the Protheans and on the Reapers, have expected that the Reapers would use her people like they had those of the other races? Yet somehow, the sight of those Banshees had struck deep and hard, making her heart beat wildly in her chest.

It wasn't just that an Asari had turned into a monster, but that it had turned into a monster _making_ monsters. _How must that be like_...? She turned her hands, moving them over her stomach, underneath her scientist uniform it was slim and smooth...it was hard to imagine herself pregnant, never mind with a monster...

She shuddered, hands drifting up to her scalp, the smooth and cool tendrils there so unlike the cruel horns of the Banshees...yet there had been a clear similarity. _To have them change, to warp into something horned and cruel_... She swallowed, all too easily imagining the pain of such a warping effect, to have her body torn and forced to lengthen to the height of a Banshee, to have her bones shattered and reknit as her very flesh turned against her...

_Stupid_... She shook her head, angry with herself, but her imagination wouldn't leave her alone.

A tap on her door made her look up, her mouth moving before she could think things through. "Come in."

The door opened, and Liara was not surprised to find Michael standing there, the man smiling softly as he strode in, the armoured uniform he wore fitting him like a second skin. Yet he didn't look like a soldier at the moment, just a friend bringing his sympathy and kindness...Liara felt a sting of sadness at that, but suppressed it. Instead she smiled at him as best she could as he spoke. "Hey, figured you could use some company..."

"That would be nice, yes..." Liara agreed, inching a little to the right and patting the bed on her left side, annoyed with how her stomach fluttered at the gesture.

It was odd, but back in the temple she had seen the way Garrus had looked at Michael, friendly, yet with a new wariness, and she felt it confirmed her suspicions about what had happened on Tuchanka...and with her agents in the STG it would be easy to find out the truth anyway. Yet...she didn't care. Garrus might have had trouble accepting what had happened, but Liara knew the darkness of the world intimately by now, and more importantly, knew _Michael_...more so than she knew herself...and she knew his deeds, however dark, had been with a good purpose in mind.

_So strong_... She held back a pained grimace as she watched Michael approach. ..._so_ _alone_. It wasn't physically, but mentally, a Commander always stood apart from his men, she knew that now. Yet Michael stood even further apart, the Prothean cipher, all his battles and scars...they had set him apart from everyone, even his own kind. He had been made alien, by choice and chance...and Liara found it tragic. "You wanted something?"

"Just to talk..." Michael dropped down next to her, the bed shifting with his weight, pulling her a little closer, he smiled at her, making her close her right hand to calm herself._ I'm not in a mentally good situation for being close to you_..._get_ _it_ _together T'soni_. She mentally berated herself. "...I watched you in the temple...and...well..." He looked away momentarily. "...sensed you were uneasy when we got back too." Liara grimaced, she was well aware of the strange bond they had, a mixture of the Prothean Cipher and the Asari melding lingering between them...sometimes she loved it, sometimes she hated it. "Those Banshees really got to you...didn't they?"

For a moment, all she could do was to stare into those pale blue eyes.

Silence.

Then she looked away, nodding as she bit her bottom lip. "Y-yes...yes they did. I know it's selfish, you've had to deal with fighting husks of humans for three years...yet I couldn't imagine my own people being turned into such..._beasts_."

"The Reapers are getting..._better_ at changing this cycle's races..." Michael admitted with a sympathetic grunt. "And the Asari are all biotics, I'm guessing the Reapers find that...useful."

Liara grimaced at the words, but nodded, he was right. "I guess...it's just going to get worse and worse, isn't it?" She looked over to Michael, pained by the bitter look in his eyes as he nodded._ I can't even imagine it_..._Vorcha_ _husks_? _Salarian_? _Hanar and Drell_? _Thresher Maws_? _With every passing day the Reapers will get more and more powerful_... "I...how do you do it, Michael? Killing people that have once been one of your own? That might even have been your friend or part of your family?" Liara grimaced, mind far too easily picturing Samara dropping to her knees before what had once been one of her daughters.

Michael sighed and looked down at the floor, face grim. "Garrus talked about that a few hours ago. How the Reapers, by twisting one our own people, win _two_ people, they gain a soldier while _we_ get a person unable to shoot one of our friends..."

"That's _horrible_!" Liara gasped, shaking her head and swallowing. "I...how did you manage that, right from the start? It must have been...before you got used to it, I mean...brutal."

Michael shot her a weary smile. "That's just it, isn't it? I'm willing to kill _any_ enemy, no matter who they are..." He grimaced, gaze lost in memory.

"I'm sorry." Liara's hand moved to Michael's knee, giving it a squeeze and returning him to the present. She smiled uncertainly as he looked at her in surprise. "I didn't mean to make you think on that." A small smile split his lips, the man realising she knew the truth of Tuchanka._ He's so warm_...

Her hand stayed where it was as the man looked away, though the smile remained. "Thanks...for staying."

"There's nowhere I'd rather be." Liara answered truthfully, her breath nearly hitching in her chest as she watched the man's smile widen. _Dammit, stop it, woman_...! "I'm with you to the end, no matter what horrors we'll end up facing." She shuddered, imagining the face of a Banshee, its putrid breath as it pressed close to her...

...and let loose a little gasp as Michael's arm came around her shoulders, pulling her closer. "Hey, hey...no thinking like that." She smiled at him knowing her mind so well. "You're too strong to let any of those things even touch you. Heck, I'm sure you'll be capable of protecting me as well as I cower behind you."

Liara chuckled at that, the man joining in even as she leaned her head against his shoulder, sighing contently as his moved to rest against hers. "I'm aware, those poor Reapers fear the name Liara T'soni."

For a moment, Michael was quiet, then she felt the head leaning against the top of hers move as he smiled. "They probably do, actually." _Heh_. "They might claim to be beyond feelings, of fear, but we'll _teach_ them..." His tone shifted, turning into a growl, determined and hard.

And Liara found her hand on his knee move further up, caressing his thigh. _Just doing it to calm him down_... She swallowed. "Hey...no going into battle just yet, right?"

Michael chuckled, apparently not noticing her drifting hand. "Sorry, I guess I've been a little...obsessed as of late?" He shifted, for a horrifying moment Liara worried it was her hand doing it, but then she realised it was over what he had just said. "I...I'm not sure I can help myself."

"It's what the galaxy needs right now." Liara's hand moved down, then drew itself back up over his thigh, making her bite her bottom lip in irritation with herself as well as due to a growing...lust._ Stop it, stop it now_! _Don't ruin what you have for something you can't have_! "We both know you need to be what you are." She grimaced, suddenly remembering what she had learnt while studying the Crucible, making her heart quaver. "Though pardon me if I worry for you...I...I'm not sure if...if you..." She withdrew her hand, as if burnt, instead moving it up to cover her face. What she had learnt was part of why she had gotten so pensive, so easily affected by the sight of the Banshees...and why she now began to shake.

"Hey, hey...what's wrong!?" Michael turned where he sat, hands moving to grasp her shoulders. "You're crying!"

Liara shook her head, but when she let her hand move to stroke her cheek, she felt that he indeed was correct. "I...it seems I am, yes." Hesitantly, she looked up at Michael.

Who paused, seeing a hint of what she knew in her eyes. His face turned serious. "What's wrong...?"

"I've...studied the plans of the Crucible...I'm still not sure how it works...but..." Liara swallowed, looking away. "...it's just that...the Crucible will hit the Reaper's amalgam of DNA and synthetic substance...and as I understand it, utterly destroy it." Michael frowned, he knew that already, but he hadn't thought it through, she saw that. "I..." She bit her bottom lip. "...Cerberus rebuilt you using Reaper tech, if the Crucible activates, those implants will be destroyed, you'll die...I'm sure of it."

Silence.

Michael's face was strange. Surprised, confused...but not sad, nor afraid. "Oh..." He smiled at her...and Liara shivered at the sight. "...Liara, I was already pretty sure I wouldn't make it through this alive, it's okay."

Liara paused, breath stolen away from her, her throat suddenly dry. "Wh-what?"

"It's okay." The man shrugged, smiling softly. "Been dead once already, it's no hardship." Still smiling, he leant backwards, hands moving back to hold him up, smiling at the ceiling. "EDI...you have Reaper tech in your hardware, this will kill you, what do you say?"

Instantly, the computer replied. "If the Reapers win, I'll die anyway, it's a non-choice." A pause. "However, my mobile platform has no Reaper tech, and I have taken measures to preserve my personality in it, should the Normandy be destroyed. I will lose much of my intellect, but I'll be alive. You have no such back-up, Shepard." The computer fell silent for a moment. "True mortality is a foreign matter to us synthetics, I'm not sure I can be of any assistance."

"You don't have to." Michael's smile actually broadened, though it was soft, almost gentle."I'm glad you'll survive, EDI, good work." Turning his head, he regarded Liara with a soft look in his eyes, one hand moving up to brush a stray tear off her cheek. _Dammit_... Closing her eyes, Liara leant into the hand. "If...no, _when_ we get that far, the Crucible finished, the Catalyst found...I won't hesitate to pull the trigger. _I_ might die, but the Reapers will be no more, and the people I _care_ about will remain..." _Damn you_! Swallowing, Liara had to stop herself from leaping atop the man with an effort of will. "...what more can a man ask for?"

"I...don't want you to die." Liara whimpered and looked away, unable to meet that gentle smile.

"Me neither, I'd love to live on." Michael admitted with a small chuckle. "But if that's not an option, I'll drag every Reaper with me...and let you guys go on without me." A sigh. "Might even be for the best..."

A sudden jolt of anger shot through Liara, making her hand shoot over and once more grasp the man's thigh, her eyes glaring at him as he looked at her in surprise. "Don't _ever_ say that! That's not true!"

"I..." The man hesitated, but then smiled. "...okay." He patted her hand as the anger drained out of her as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by something else, something breathless... "But until then, I'd like to live and, even with all this bloodshed...be with those I care about."

"Yes..."Liara swallowed, suddenly leaning forward, chest heaving as she without thinking began to purse her lips. "...you're right..."

A sudden beep made her jump, hand shooting away from Michael's thigh as the man, momentarily gave her a puzzled look – _Goddess, what did I nearly do_!? – before he turned his attention to his arm, omni-tool aglow. "Emergency message...? Patch it through."

Taking a few gasping breaths to calm her foolish self down, Liara cocked her head to the side and looked over Michael's shoulder as a fuzzy picture slowly took form. _Thane_?! The Drell looked tired, though she could only see his face, he was clearly taking deep breaths, sweat covering his face, dark eyes expressing a hint of pain. _Oh yes, he's sick_..._looks like running doesn't agree with him_..._why would he be running though_?

Michael seemed to be thinking the same thing, the man frowning. "Thane? What's happening? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, for now." The Drell took a deep breath, hand coming up to hold back a cough, his whole body shaking as he held it back. "Shepard, there are Cerberus troops on the Citadel, a greatmany of them."

Liara felt herself go cold, and Michael's voice betrayed his own worry. "What?"

"They have armoured walkers and gunships as well, gathering in the lower wards, I believe they are preparing for an attack. As to their target, I'm not sure, but they have a clear shot at both the Docks and the Presidium." The Drell glanced backwards with a frown, but then looked back to the video. "I have tried reaching C-sec, but was nearly caught, I believe their communications have been hacked. I'm hiding in a storage area right now, I will try to warn a few officers if I can reach them, but I thought I'd call you first."

"You did the right thing." Michael nodded, frowning deeply as he looked to the side, muttering to himself. "Attacking the Citadel...they can't hope to take it."

"Perhaps that isn't their objective." Thane replied, his breathing slowing. "But whatever their objective, it can't be good for you or the war-effort."

"What kind of numbers do they have?"

"They-"

Suddenly the screen jerked, Thane's mouth opened as if to speak again, his eyes widening...and then the screen shifted downwards, showing Thane's abdomen...and the tip of the blade sticking out of it.

Liara gasped even as Michael shot to his feet. "_Thane_!?"

A sigh...and the screen spun before coming to a stop with the sound of a body dropping to the ground.

Silence, Michael's eyes wide as he stared at the screen while Liara slowly rose to her feet behind him.

"I'm sorry..." The voice suddenly speaking held a touch of arrogance...and was _familiar_. With a wrench, the screen turned to show the face of the man that had hunted Liara on Mars, his lips curved in a thin smile. "...did I interrupt your chat?"

"_Kai Leng_..." Michael growled, eyes narrowing.

"The same." The man glanced down. "Apologies for your pet lizard, had to put him down." Again, that thin smile. "You took an ally from me on Mars, now I've taken one of yours...and it's only the _beginning_."

"I'll kill you for that." Michael growled, glaring back, his free hand clenched to his side. "Whatever you plan, I'll make _sure_ you don't succeed."

"You're too late, Shepard, you cannot stop this, you've failed." The assassin glanced at someone beyond the screen and nodded. "And now _Cerberus_ will win this war, not some Commander with his alien _pets_."

Michael snarled. "I'll find you, I promise you that..."

"Well..." Again, that smug little smile. "...you know where to find me."_Huh_? _Why challenge him_? With that, the human once more looked beyond the screen, hand moving up to make a chopping movement at his throat...

And the screen turned black.

Silence.

Then Michael raised his head, all earlier emotions purged from him, voice _seething_ with anger. "EDI, try contacting Bailey and Citadel security, the Council and anyone with a significant position within it, if you fail, try private persons. We must warn them."

Liara shook her head, worried. Something hadn't been right about that exchange, something with how Kai Leng had spoken...it had seemed...calculated. She raised her hand to tug at Michael's sleeve, only to hesitate, unsure if she should give voice to such a strange worry.

"Calling..." A pause...and then EDI spoke up. "All numbers unreachable, communication-wise, the Citadel is not there, at least not on long range communications. In fact, I can't reach anyone in the _system_."

A curse, and Michael punched his hip. "Okay, turn the ship around, I want the fastest route to the Citadel plotted, _now_."

"Done, changing course, thrusters at full."

"Good." Michael growled, already marching towards the door as Liara's opportunity to speak slipped out of her grasp. "I want a map of the Citadel in the war-room and a full report on the military forces within that system, from militia to Dreadnoughts. Inform the others of our changed destination and have Garrus and Kaidan meet me in the war-room for planning our insertion and possible scenarios. Have Cortez check the shuttles and James go through all weapons, run a full diagnostics on shields and weapons, the rest of the team will gather for a debriefing two hours within reaching the system. I want the engineers standing by and the doctors to prepare for quick retrieval and treatment of wounded, have the..." The door closed behind the man.

And Liara remained behind, forgotten.

8

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8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being such a fighter._


	29. Chapter 29

_Damn, this is intense_.

James wasn't actually supposed to be in the cockpit, but curiosity had gotten the better of him, and Shepard wasn't one to be strict on regulations, which he'd proven just a few moments ago when he'd waved of Alenko's attempts to tell the Marine to leave. Besides the two Spectres, there was of course Joker and EDI in the chairs, as well as Vakarian standing at the side of the doorway opposite James.

Ahead, James could begin to make out the Citadel and the fleet protecting it. _Man_..._lots_ _of_ _ships_. James held back a whistle. Despite the Turians being bogged down in heavy fighting back home, the fleet protecting the Citadel had actually _increased_ in size in the last couple of weeks, the majority of the ships now being of Asari or Salarian make, the protection they offered the Citadel the envy of any world. _Though I guess that protection has failed_..._give it to Cerberus to just walk by its sentinels and right for the Citadel_.

It was that knowledge that kept the group so tense, making the air of the cockpit nearly shimmer, atmosphere taut as a bowstring.

_Wow_..._that's a lot more ships than_..._what's going on_!? Squinting, James could make out the classical formation of the Citadel fleet – or that is, classic since the Normandy broke free of her impound – with Frigates far out to catch anyone trying anything illegal as the Dreadnoughts and Cruisers formed up in a nearly helical formation closer to the Citadel, creating a tunnel for ships flying to the Citadel. Yet now there were many ships, in various size and shapes in that tunnel, making it look like several strings of beads within the helix. A moment later the why became apparent as the cockpit's radio crackled into life. "Hello...SSV Normandy...and welcome to the Citadel..." _Wait_..._is that Avina_!?

Ahead, Shepard leant forward, hand waving Joker's aside and hovered over the controls. "This is Shepard, forward me to the-"

"We apologise for the inconvenience, but due to technical issues on the Presidium, all long range communications are down in the system." Avina interrupted, making Shepard and Joker exchange a confused look. "Further, due to a related error, the docks are currently off limit, please follow the given coordinates, take your place in the Alliance queue and await your turn to dock. Our technicians are diligently at work and you'll be informed when docking is possible."

"You _got_ to be kidding me..." Vakarian muttered, shaking his head...and James could do nothing but mirror him.

"A _voicemail_!?" Michael growled. "Right, EDI, get me the Council."

"No connection." EDI replied, the machine in her seat frowning. "There is interference coming from the Presidium tower, I might be able to bypass it if we move closer."

"Shepard, what about the Citadel fleet?" Alenko grunted, face marked by a frown.

"Right, Joker, all ahead full. EDI, get me the Citadel flagship." Shepard leant over Joker, eyes almost glowing with intensity, fixed upon the Citadel, as if he could bring it closer through sheer _will_.

"This is Admiral Shayr." The radio suddenly spoke again, the voice of an _organic_ Asari this time filling the cockpit. "What's the meaning of this? Not even military vessels are exempt from following the current regulations, I don't care if it contains a Spectre or not, and you're _not_ clear to contact me, I have more important things to worry about."

"Admiral, this is Commander Shepard, I believe the Citadel is _not_ experiencing technical issues, but is in fact under attack from Cerberus strike forces." Shepard replied, not for a moment looking away from the growing sight of the Citadel as their ship whizzed past a freighter to their right. "Tell me, has any councillor contacted you about this 'problem'? Commander Bailey?"

"Errr...no..." The Admiral on the line hesitated. "The report came from Avina, the others were apparently busy." A snort as the Asari regained her footing. "Really, Commander, this is preposterous, why would-"

"I don't have time to argue!" Michael snapped. "EDI, are we in range? Can you reach Bailey via omni-tool?"

"Yes, Shepard." EDI calmly replied.

Alenko shook his head, frowning in worry. "Didn't you say your friend thought C-Sec communications to be hacked...?"

Shepard ignored him. "Then forward it here and keep the Admiral on the line!" The radio crackled as it struggled to get the connection. "Bailey, this is Shepard, talk to me."

There was an explosion on the radio, followed by a smattering of gun-fire. "Shepard, thank god, I've been trying to reach out of the Citadel for an hour now!" Shepard shot EDI a thankful glance, then turned his eyes back to the Citadel as they narrowed in hostility at Bailey's words. "There are Cerberus troops all over the place and they're shooting anything that moves!"

"What!?" The Admiral gasped, then, without remembering to silence the radio, spoke to someone else on her bridge. "All ships, turn and all ahead full! Battle stations!"

James' eyes widened, though not at the order, but at the sight before him, his hand shot forth, finger pointing at the Citadel. "Look! The Citadel's closing!"

"I see it, we'll make it." Michael growled, eyes intent on the Citadel as its arms began to move to close.

"Sure, but the rest of the fleet won't." Alenko muttered, concern colouring his face. He was right, the cumbersome Dreadnoughts were turning too slowly, the Cruisers couldn't accelerate quick enough and the Frigates were too far away to reach the Citadel in time...the Normandy was on its own.

"Damn, I think he's right..." The admiral muttered.

"Sounds familiar." Garrus drawled, grinning ever so slightly, pointedly ignoring Kaidan's glare. "Just like old times, we'll get it open, don't you worry." James shot the Turian a surprised look, only to find comfort in the confident light in the man's eyes. _Huh, I believe you_...

Ignoring them, Shepard's gaze was steady, fixed ahead. "Bailey, give me a status report."

"Most of my technicians have been assassinated and the internal communications are mostly fried, but our headquarters still stand and everyone's been equipped and set to counter-attack. Even with the losses from the Cerberus surprise-attack, time and numbers are on our side." The Commander grunted, a loud bang resounding through the radio. "Of course, I mentioned our lack of heavy weapons before, and sure enough, Cerberus has god-damn walking _tanks_ as well as _gunships_ in the air! My men are skilled and can deal with the tanks given enough time, but those gunships have wrecked _dozens_ of our patrol-cars and dominate the skies. We'll beat them eventually, but I could sure use a hand."

"You'll get it." Michael snarled. "What of the militia?"

Bailey let loose a curse. "They're half the reason we haven't won this yet! Half my men are out in the wards, trying to calm things down! Cerberus managed to get just a few people into the militia, and now various wards are shooting at_ each other_, it'll be a hell of a time to figure out who were traitors and who just started firing out of fear. Add those walkers going about, slaughtering people at random, and you can see how maintaining control is difficult...Cerberus wants _chaos_, not sure why."

"And the Cerberus main force?" Michael asked, voice tense even as the Citadel grew larger and larger in front of them, its arms slowly closing.

"They're concentrated on the Presidium, the tower is completely in their control by now." Bailey muttered as something in the background exploded with a loud boom. "What techs I have left have been monitoring the activity as best they can. It seems Cerberus is hacking and downloading information from the Presidium computers, don't know what though, not even _I_ have high enough clearance for that." Shepard's hands, resting on the backrest of Joker's chair, tightened their grip. "We've laid the tower under siege and I'm sending reinforcement in as it becomes available. We'll need some heavy firepower to breach the place without heavy casualties though, Cerberus has put up a good crossfire along all avenues of approach."

"And what of the council?" Alenko asked, eyes wide. "Are they safe?"

"The Captain of the Presidium precinct got them out before the defenders were overwhelmed, told me he had some of his best men guarding them." Bailey sighed. "The Council computers have overwritten our control of cameras though, so we can't look for them. Last I heard they were heading for Zakera ward, but since then we've lost contact with the men."

"We must find them, get them to safety." Alenko said tersely, intense gaze moving to Shepard.

The man kept staring ahead though, watching as they flew past the tip of one of the Citadel arms, reaching it in time for it to close behind them. His voice was hard, set. "No." _Huh_? James stared at the man in surprise, as did Alenko. "Cerberus is after the Council data, we'll go for that first."

"The Councillors _know_ all that though, let C-Sec-"

Shepard shot Alenko an angry look. "_No_. They might know some, but no one can remember everything, the data comes first, I'm _not_ wasting time and lives on saving the useless Council a _second_ time, they're a secondary priority."

Alenko took a step closer to the other man, brow furrowing in anger. "We are _Spectres_, we're sworn to the Council and _must_-"

"_No_!" Shepard turned, nose nearly touching Alenko's as he glared at the man. "_You_ might be sworn to the Council! _I_ don't remember any oath to the Council! I'm sworn to do what _must_ be done! And _that_ is to thwart Cerberus' plan!"

"By possibly letting them abduct or kill the Council!?" Alenko snapped back, shaking his head. "If I didn't know better I'd say you're letting your judgement get clouded! Is that your own doing...or someone else!?" James sighed. _Here we go again_...

"If you think I'm doing this at Cerberus' behest you're an _idiot_!" Shepard shouted back, stepping closer, forehead pressing against Alenko's, pushing him back.

"Ah! So you're just doing this because it's the _strategic_ option!?" Alenko shook his head as he pulled it back, glaring at the fuming Shepard. "Sacrifice the Council just to deny Cerberus some data? _You_ might be comfortable with sacrificing people when it's convenient, but _I_-!"

A blur moved between them, cutting the man off.

With a crash, Alenko fell to the floor, Shepard standing above him, his fist still clenched after the blur that had been his swing. His chest was heaving, and he stared at Alenko with hatred. "Don't you _dare_ speak like that to me _ever_ again, got it!?"

Alenko looked up at the man, first in surprise, then anger, his eyes narrowing as one hand moved up to rub his bruised jaw.

Then Joker glanced back, nervously licking his lips. "Errr...we're running short on time here, people..."

As Shepard glanced over at the pilot, Alenko got to his feet, still rubbing his jaw as he glared at the other Spectre. "I'm _going_ to save the Council, I'll take the second shuttle, you can't stop me." Shepard's head whirled around, the man frowning in anger as he began to open his mouth. "And don't you _dare_ try to order me, you have no authority with _me_."

For a moment, the two men stared at one another, eyes filled with bitterness, memories and anger...and then Shepard nodded before turning his attention back to the Citadel ahead.

Turning to walk out, Alenko stopped next to James. "James, you're with me, come on."

And James...hesitated, gaze darting between Alenko's hard eyes and Shepard's back, and then over to the Citadel, his eyes widening. "Ummm...Sir, I'm not sure...shouldn't the main objective be to beat the enemy forces...? I mean it seems as if Shepard's...ummm..."

A growl...and Alenko stalked on. "Very well, stay with Shepard, it's your funeral."

James slouched, breathing out a sigh of relief. It felt like the right call...but he didn't like having to make it in the first place. Next to him, Garrus gave him a pat on the back. "Good man, you won't regret it."

"Yeah, bet I'll think about it when neck-deep in Cerberus troops..." James muttered, drawing a low chuckle from Garrus.

Both kept looking at Shepard's back though as the man spoke. "Joker, you're on gunship duty, I want those things blown to kingdom come, but try not to damage the Citadel too much."

"Missile systems active, this'll be _fun_." The pilot growled, actually sounding like a marine for a moment, making James arch an eyebrow.

Shepard didn't bother responding to that, attention already elsewhere. "Bailey, prepare to attack the Presidium tower, we'll do an air-drop at the top and work our way down, after we've deployed I'll have Cortez fly his shuttle to your headquarters to deliver some heavy weapons so you can hunt down those Atlases."

"Those...what?" The Commander grunted, then sighed. "Whatever, sounds good, I'll ready the men."

"Good..." Shepard replied, leaning forward, voice a low hiss. "Come on, Kai Leng...your move..."

8

8

8

_Damn him_!

Growling as he pushed his shuttle to the limit, Kaidan's hands flickered over the instruments, external cameras scanning the Zakera wards below for a sign of the Council.

_Damn him all to hell_! _I knew I couldn't trust him_! _A man willing to sell out his own friends is sure to let the Council die_! _He has __no__ right ignoring the danger they're in_!_ Is Cerberus controlling him, making him make foolish choices, or is he just so lost in his own personal needs that he can't see the bigger picture_!? _The galaxy __needs__ the Council_!

His hand darted up, checking that his helmet and armour fitted well despite how quickly he'd suited up, the eyes under his visor narrow slits.

_But __I__ remember my duty, and __I__ won't back away from doing the right thing_.

Below, Zakera ward was covered in several plumes of black smoke as fires raged. Bodies littered the streets and Kaidan could see fire-fights in the distance, the militia Bailey had spoken of, killing one another in panic. _This is awful_..._maybe we should have focused on Cerberus first anyway, if they're capable of this_...

Then, something familiar flickering on one of his monitors.

Turning his head sharply, Kaidan veered the shuttle to the side, fixing the camera on the sight he'd only just caught a glimpse of. _Udina_.

The Councillor stood with the other Councillors, seemingly waiting for something in the middle of a street. Around them, six Cerberus soldiers, one with the white helmet of an officer, stood. Also, a little to the side, a woman in white armour was standing, her black helmet's vision slits a deep red and the sword in her hand resting with the point against the floor.

The Councillors looked unharmed though, making Kaidan draw a breath of relief. Sparatus was sitting down, clutching his cheek as a trickle of blue blood slipped down his neck, Tevos was kneeling next to him, trying to help as Valern, standing in a slouch behind them, nervously fiddled with his hands while staring down at his Turian counterpart. The only one standing tall was Udina, the man holding his chin high, proud...it made Kaidan smile. _Damn right, they won't break us_...

Then the man's eyes widened, his gaze darting up, catching sight of Kaidan's shuttle...and one of the Cerberus soldiers, following his gaze, pointed up and shouted a warning as Kaidan considered his options.

_Can't shoot them with the shuttle's guns, I'll kill the Councillors too, I might have to set her down and_..._what's_ _that_? With a wave of his hand, the Cerberus Centurion gestured at something around the corner, then at Kaidan...and a Atlas lumbered into view, its right arm swinging its massive cannon to bear. _Oh no_...

A boom...and the shuttle shook with the impact, a spark shooting up from underneath Kaidan's feet._ I need to_... Another boom, and Kaidan coughed as an oily smoke suddenly filled the compartment, concealing even the glowing instruments just ahead of him. _I must_... His stomach lurched, the shuttle whining as it was jerked downwards, as if by a great force of nature. His body pulled at the seatbelt...and Kaidan gasped, feeling his head swimming as the shuttle spun out of control...and then into something.

Darkness took him.

But only for a moment.

Coughing, Kaidan blinked, hand moving down to his chair...and the smoke visibly cleared as the doors to either side of the shuttle opened with a grinding of damaged gears. Gasping for air, Kaidan moved to take off his seatbelt, only to find it snapped...a grunt...and he rolled out of his seat and onto all fours. _Must save the Council._.._the Atlas takes priority though_..._shit_,_ where is it_...? Struggling up into a slouch, Kaidan coughed again as some of the lingering smoke filled his lungs with its sticky taste. He pressed on though, moving to the left door...and finding the weapon he'd snatched up from the armoury before Shepard could confiscate them all.

The missile launcher was heavy, and reassuring.

With a grunt, Kaidan gripped the weapon with both hands and jumped out of the shuttle, only now realising it was listing forward. A glance backwards revealed it had crashed half way through a floor, the trashed metal at its sides just barely holding on to the jagged concrete. _Where am I_? Kaidan turned around, looking around in confusion.

He was in some kind of shop, the shuttle had crashed right through the roof, a glance upwards revealing crumpled stone and pieces of metal surrounding a jagged hole in it. The shuttle had done an even worse job with the second level, little remaining of it save the platform he stood on and the stairs just behind him when he faced the shuttle. Beneath him, the large hole in its floor revealed the bottom floor, shelves holding some plastic merchandise now covered with concrete rocks, pieces of metal from the second floor's reinforcement as well as a thick layer of grey dust. To Kaidan's right, a thick cord of wiring threw off sparks as it barely remained attached to the wall just above and to his right.

A whir made him stop trying to orient himself, instead he looked down in time to see the Atlas smash a hole in the wall at the bottom floor, heavy feet crushing all beneath it as it stepped into the shop, the pilot within turning his head to look at the burning shuttle. _Damn_! Ducking low, Kaidan hid as best he could. _Even without its shields, a rocket won't destroy that thing instantly, the moment I shoot it, it'll blast me_. He frowned. _Retreat_? And glared at the floor. _No, I'm here to save the Council, I won't back down now, I took an oath, and I __will__ honour it_.

_So what will I do then_? _Overload its shields, obviously, but it'll take three attempts, at least, to __drain them, and it won't give me even a second shot_... Kaidan turned his head, looking over at the nearly snapped wiring. _Or_..._I'll_ _be_ _smart_. He smiled...and gently put his missile launcher down before raising his right fist, biotic energy coursing through it even as his left came aglow with his omni-tool. _One_.._two_... He listened, hearing the Atlas plod further to his right...and snarled. ..._three_!

His biotic throw flew forth, struck true...and the wiring was torn loose from the wall even as Kaidan jumped up straight, omni-tool obeying his command, making the Atlas' shield momentarily flicker as he began to drain it. The pilot turned his head around, cannon beginning to take aim...and the loose wiring whipped down in an arch and struck the machine in a flash of energy as the electricity coursed through the Atlas, shortening its shields nearly instantly before beginning to make its joints smoke as the energy continued to course through the machine.

The Atlas jerked to the side, Kaidan momentarily forgotten as the pilot had its left arm come down and catch the rogue wiring with its claw. _Shields down_..._let's make it easier for the missile with a similar trick_. Kaidan pulled both hands back, looking up as he took aim...and hurled twin biotic throws upwards.

A crack, and pieces of the already broken ceiling gave way, large pieces of concrete and steel falling down...right upon the Atlas.

There were several large thumps of steel hitting lumps of rocks and steel...and then a crack as something struck the window of the machine...but Kaidan didn't see it, as he was already ducking down, picking up his missile launcher.

With a jump, he came to stand at the edge of the floor, swinging his launcher about to take aim at the Atlas beneath. It was standing in a pile of metal and rocks...and the pilot underneath a now cracked window looked up from the trash around him...and at Kaidan.

Kaidan met the gaze of the crimson lenses...and pulled the trigger.

With a whoosh, the rocket shot down, the warhead punching straight through the window of his foe, then into the soldier's gut...and Kaidan pulled his hand up just in time to shield his face from the blast as the rocket split the machine in two while sending the majority of its pieces flying in all directions.

_Yes_! Kaidan grinned, lowering his arm. _Now for the Council_. He looked up, a cracked window of the shop allowing him to spot the Councillors and their six guards...only to see them walking away. _Damn_,_ I need to pursue them and_... He frowned. ..._wasn't there also a Cerberus woman with_-

A small sound of rocks bouncing against rocks was all the warning he got.

Spinning around, Kaidan swung his launcher about to take aim...only to find his opponent right on top of him. She swung the sword in her left hand, the blade biting deep into the casing of his launcher and knocking it out of his hands, and even as she did so, she spun with the swing, right leg a blur as it followed her manoeuvre.

It was like having a sledge hit him square in the chest.

"Ahhhhh!" Kaidan screamed in horror as he was knocked off the floor and down onto the main floor... "_AHHHHH_!" …and then in pain as he struck it, his right leg in agony as a crunch resounded through the room.

Looking down, he found a thin rod of steel, reinforcement of the collapsed roof, sticking out of his armoured calf, the rusty steel slick with dark blood as it stuck out of his limb. _God_..._damn_ _it_! He shuddered, eyes rolling back in agony...only to snarl and shake his head. _No, it doesn't end here_! Sweating profusely, he grunted and leant forward, grabbing hold of his foot with both hands...and gasped as he pulled his leg up and free of its impalement in a shower of blood.

_God_... Gasping for air, his vision swimming, Kaidan looked up.

There, on the second level, the Cerberus woman looked down at him, head cocked to the side...and he bared his teeth at her, snarling in defiance.

Instantly, the woman reversed her grip on her blade and spun mid-air as she jumped down onto his floor, deftly landing in a low crouch, weapon held behind her and her free hand held out before her.

"Fine..." Grunting, Kaidan struggled to his feet, vision swimming for a moment...and then he was standing up, moving his feet apart as he raised his fists in a defensive guard. "...let's see how well Cerberus has trained you."

Not replying, the woman leapt forward...

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being a little bit on the crazy side._


	30. Chapter 30

"Well...this brings back memories."

On one knee, Michael smiled as he attached the magnetic clamp to the steel roof under his feet, securing his harness to the top of the Presidium tower. To both his sides, the others were doing the same, James momentarily stopping as he shot Michael an unsure glance. _Heh, guess disobeying Kaidan's order has rattled him a bit, I think he'll recover_. Michael shot the man a reassuring smile, refusing to waste a moment on thinking on his final break of his cooperation with Kaidan. _Fuck_ _him_. "Memories...err...Sir?"

"Michael...and yes, memories." Michael corrected and replied. "Back during the battle of the Citadel, I rappelled into the Council chamber. I used a different window back then, but this is basically the same." He looked up, smile fading a bit. _Though the surroundings were almost as depressing_...

It was an amazing sight, the closed Citadel, especially when seen from the top of the Council tower...yet not as amazing as it _should_ have been.

With the Citadel closed, it was cast in the amber light of millions of lights throughout the wards within the Citadel's arms. Yet the light was murky, tarnished by the multitude of pillars of black smoke rising from various parts of the wards. The Citadel was usually beautiful, but the gun-fire that could be seen and heard in the distance, as well as a lone wailing alarm, ruined all that.

War had come to the Citadel.

The Cerberus gunships were flying around it like angry mosquitoes, guns raking C-Sec positions and even civilian buildings, purposefully creating carnage and chaos, mostly around the Presidium. Only now they were scattering as the larger Normandy gracefully chased after them, missile after missile creating blossoming explosions within the Citadel walls as Joker ended Cerberus' air-dominance.

Beneath him, the C-Sec troops were like ants, tiny figures surrounding the Council tower, held back by a steady stream of machine-gun and sniper-fire from the entrenched Cerberus troops. As Bailey had said, his men would win eventually, through attrition if nothing else, but Michael wasn't about to allow Cerberus that time, who knew what they were learning from the Council computers? _And if Kai Leng is here, all the better_... Michael's fading smile turned into an angry scowl. _I'll rip his head off with my bare hands_...

Not noticing his changing mood, Garrus chuckled. "Yeah, and I'll get to take part this time, about time I get a redo."

"Unless you break your leg again within the next few seconds." Liara suggested at the back of the group, smiling slightly as Garrus guffawed, making Michael shoot her a thankful smile. It wasn't often she made jokes, and her doing it when he was in no mind for it was..._appreciated_.

"Right, first wave, ready weapons. Second, you follow us after five seconds." Michael reached down and drew his pistol, face grim. It wasn't his usual Eagle pistol, given his Raptor and Revenant's ability at long to medium range, he'd instead opted for the pistol the Cerberus Guardians used, it was a good compliment to his arsenal...and he found something grimly satisfying about using the weapon on its creators. "We clear the chamber hard and fast, then work our way down the levels as Bailey mounts his assault in earnest."

The others nodded their affirmatives, the seriousness of the operation overtaking them as Michael and the three he had picked to go in first readied themselves for the assault.

"On me, one, two..._now_!" Michael leapt forward, twisting his body sideways as he jumped so he'd be facing the right way as he came in.

For a moment, he was stuck in vertigo, nothing but air beneath his feet, far below, the tiny figures of the C-Sec operatives continued their battle with Cerberus, not noticing the assault about to occur at the top of the building they were fighting for. Michael was sure many people in the wards were watching though, as they had during the battle of the Citadel...and could only hope that any Cerberus agents there hadn't had time to warn the soldiers in the tower due to the speed with which the team had deployed.

Then, he fell...and the line attached to the waist of his armour tugged hard, turning his falling body into a swinging pendulum, swinging straight for the window appearing before him._ How many times have I looked up at the Council, seeing this window behind them and the view it offers_? _Feels weird seeing the Council chamber from this side_...

He blinked, slowly, it felt like...and then levelled his pistol at the glass and fired.

With a crash, the window shattered before him as he swung into the room.

The podium atop which the Councillors usually stood was now the home of four Cerberus engineers, each facing a computer each, hard at work at cracking their encryption. The one before Michael turned at the sound of the crash...and Michael landed a foot in front of him, pressing the barrel of his Talon against the chest of the man, who glanced down, then began to look up at Michael...before he was hurled back by the force of the blast, his ribs shattering as pieces of his organs shot out through the hole smashed right through his back. He bounced against the console of Tevos' computer, then fell over the railing, crashing through the glass beneath and falling into the garden below.

To Michael's left, James landed somewhat clumsily, shoulder smashing into the engineer there, knocking him into the railing...and then blasting his gut open with a shot from his Wraith, making the engineer collapse where he'd fallen.

To Michael right, Garrus' engineer reacted swiftly, swinging his pistol around to shoot his opponent...only for the Turian to block the arm with his left hand, his right hand shooting out to smash the butt of his Paladin into the man's nose, drawing a strangled cry from him. Swiftly, the cry was cut short when Garrus' pistol barked, tearing the top of the engineer's skull off.

Even further to the right, Javik's opponent somehow managed to knock the Prothean's pistol out of his hand...only for Javik to grab the engineer by the neck, green energy coursing through them both as the Prothean bypassed his opponent's shield through his proximity. A growl...and the Prothean tossed the glowing engineer backwards, out through the shattered window and to his death.

Not stopping, Michael detached himself from his line as he leapt atop the railing of the Council chamber...and then jumped. Ahead, the platform where he'd once knelt to become a Spectre, a fifth engineer knelt, hands having been busy with cutting the wires to the console there and attaching them to a small cylinder. Now, however, the engineer was rising to his feet, taking a hesitant step backwards...and Michael's Talon spat a shot into his face, turning the front of the man's head into mush and knocking him onto his back, a wet gurgle escaping the ruined face as the engineer rolled off the platform and down into the garden.

Behind him he heard the sound of EDI's tempest opening up along with Liara's Phalanx as the two women swung down to join the assault, and he could almost _feel_ the others in the first wave moving to the sides, taking the intended route for stepping off the platform, rather than to jump over the garden like Michael had done.

Growling, Michael pushed on, intent to push the advantage of surprise to the utmost. Collapsing his pistol and attaching it back to his hip, he ran forward, hands already shooting up to free his Raptor. Jumping down the first flight of stairs, Michael pressed his back into the wall separating the two other sets of stairs below, knowing proceeding right away was suicide. The central room of the chamber was, despite the stones of its garden and the pillars on the flanks, suicide.

Instantly, a couple of hurried shots smashed into the ground and wall next to him, the Cerberus troops in the central room recovering from their shock and trying to cover their retreat.

_Not going to happen_.

Ignoring the shots, Michael leant out of cover, his shield absorbing a stray shot as he lined up his sights on a Cerberus engineer trying to move from the console next to the garden to the more solid protection of the pillars to Michael's left.

The first shot missed by a hair, the second and third knocked the engineer's shield out...and the fourth made him fall to the ground with a shout, his right knee a mess of gore, bones and ligaments. Yet still he raised his pistol at Michael...only to be tossed away like a leaf in a breeze as a grenade from James' Falcon tore his poorly-armoured body to shreds.

Michael had already switched targets though, going for a soldier who'd taken cover behind a pillar. His first shot rebounded against his opponent's shield, his second missing as the soldier ducked back into cover, only to take a few shots at Michael a moment later, one being caught by Michael's shield as the others harmlessly struck the wall he was leaning out from. Snarling in irritation, Michael let loose a fusillade of shots, but his opponent swiftly ducked back into cover, letting the shots harmlessly chip off pieces of the pillar he hid behind. "_Garrus_!"

A moment later, the Turian heeded the call, his heavier Black Widow resounding through the chamber as the shot smashed right through the pillar and split the skull of the soldier hiding behind it.

Breaking out of cover, Michael leapt forward, cursing himself as he realised he only had one shot left in his Raptor as he saw a Cerberus soldier that had been guarding the elevator run up the stairs in the distance. "_EDI_!" Instantly, the soldier stumbled as his shields were overloaded, the strength of the blast enough to hurt the flesh beneath...only for him to fall flat a moment later as Michael's shot stuck him just beneath the helmet, ripping half his throat out.

Kneeling behind one of the boulders of the garden in the centre of the Council chamber, Michael swiftly reloaded his Raptor while he glanced over the rock to see what was going on.

Four Cerberus soldiers had knocked over a few benches next to a pillar on the right, creating a improvised barricade from which to shoot at the advancing group. "_Liara_!" A purple orb shot forth...and the benches were sent flying, knocking three of the soldiers back, one flying over the ledge and down to the room with the fountain with a dull crack. "_James_! _Javik_!" The grenade landing between the two prone soldiers shorted out their shield...and a moment later they were drifting through the hair, encased in green energy. "_Garrus_!" Two powerful shots...and the flying soldiers were drifting off, their blood pouring out over the floor below.

Leaping up, Michael fired off five quick shots at the last soldier – who'd been fortunate in hiding behind the pillar rather than the benches – and though two shots struck nothing but air, three managed to knock the soldier's shield out as well as crack his armour at the shoulder. Grunting the soldier pressed closer to his cover to avoid the shots..._Garrus_' _reloading_...and Michael barked out his order. "_EDI_!" A moment later a graceful incineration blast hurtled through the air, arching to the left before moving to the right, past the pillar and smashing into the soldier.

He screamed...fell onto all fours as the fire consumed him...and then died as Liara's Phalanx barked out two swift shots.

The familiar silence after a battle filled the chamber, only broken by the crackling of the fire slowly consuming what was left of the Cerberus soldier.

Behind Michael, someone breathed out a sigh of relief.

_We're not done yet_.

Reloading, then collapsing, his Raptor, Michael straightened. "EDI, go disable all elevators in the tower, I don't want Cerberus pulling a fast one, _we're_ the ones in command of this battle now." He drew his Talon, reloading the pistol as he continued. "James, Javik, do a quick sweep of the nearby rooms. Garrus, Liara, secure the stairs."

Stalking forward as the others voiced their affirmative, Michael came to a stop at the stairs leading down to the fountain. Below, he watched the water softly murmur, not bothered by the blood from the soldier Liara had thrown trickle into it as he lay near the fountain's railing. _Feels so long since I was here last, can't be more than a couple of weeks_... EDI was already near the elevator there, omni-tool aglow as she opened a panel next to its display, making swift work the elevator controls before turning to jog back to him.

_Right, time to continue_. "Everyone! To the stairs!" Turning, Michael moved to follow his own order, hand already moving up to activate his radio. "Bailey, this is Shepard. The Council chamber is secured, and the elevators disabled. We're now moving on to the next level, once we've cleared out all the snipers there, you're free to attack, you'll clear the tower level by level and we'll meet you halfway. I'll give the word."

"Damn, swift work...I'm on it." The Commander chuckled. "Just leave some for my men, okay?"

Michael's face remained grim though, already imagining Kai Leng before him. _I should have taken the time to talk to Thane before, not dismiss him as I did, I should have_..._something, and now I can't make it right_._ I'm coming for you_,_ Kai Leng_...

"No promises..."

8

8

8

The Presidium tower's security room was a mess.

Dark blotches covered the walls, both of blood and scorch-marks, not to mention the different-sized bullet holes riddling them. Across the floor, dead C-Sec officers and Cerberus troops, the former being dragged off by Bailey's men, lay, their blood making the floor slick.

Yet despite that, most of the computers lining the walls were unharmed, only a few having taken damage from an explosion or bullet. Next to him, Bailey regarded them with some scepticism. "Damn, what a mess, I'll get my techs on this, hack through whatever Cerberus has done to them."

"No need. EDI, regain control of the systems." Michael waved at the machine, standing a little to the side, and watched her quickly step close to the main computer, omni-tool aglow as she became eerily still, eyes distant as her mind focused on the computer in a way no organic could.

"What's it doing?" Bailey asked, curiously cocking his head to the side as he stared at the machine, reminding Michael that the Commander had never seen the robot before, never mind knew that it was an AI.

"Clearing things up." Michael stated dismissively, turning to regard Bailey with a frown. "Now...you're _sure_ you haven't encountered Kai Leng while fighting your way up? No one close to his description? A man with a sword, black clothes and synthetic eyes?"

It had taken them a good twenty minutes to clear the tower, an impressive time, yet Michael still found it upsetting, and even more so since doubts began to gnaw at him as he failed to find Kai Leng._ Surely Kaidan wasn't right_?_ Kai Leng should be at their main objective, but if we haven't faced him, then where could he be_? Is he focusing on the Council? _Surely the data here is more valuable_..._or_ _is_ _he_..._damn_ _it_, _Kaidan_!

"As sure as one can be in the middle of a fire-fight." Bailey frowned. "No man with any sword has come at us, nor gotten past us. There's reports in the wards about the odd _woman_ with a sword, but unless the man has gone under the knife lately, I doubt that's him."

Growling a curse, Michael turned at the sound of EDI giving a little sigh, voice distant and electronic for just a moment. "Cerberus was actively protecting their system from without, I have now removed their access, system control...regained."

Bailey gave a soft whistle, but Michael just took a step closer, tensing even as he spoke. "Check the security feeds, look for Kai Leng."

"Wouldn't it be better to look for the Council?" Bailey muttered as he moved closer, eyes on the monitor next to EDI where images were flickering by too swiftly to see. "With the tower now under our control, my men can mop up the rest of the Cerberus troops and calm things down, doesn't that leave you in a good position to make sure the Council is safe."

Michael snorted, crossing his arms over his chest, remembering the cost _last_ time he'd saved the Council. "Lots of good that'll do...I mean they're _so_ useful..." Bailey frowned at him, making him sigh. "...but you have a point, yes...EDI?"

"I've found both." The machine replied, gesturing at the monitor as it flickered before showing a street. Michael took two steps forward before he could stop himself, hands clenching into fists at the sight of the dark figure leading an entourage of six women, their bloodied swords held low. _Kai Leng_... "He's in Zakera wards, moving to these..." EDI spoke...and the image shifted, showing the Council gathered under the watch of six Cerberus soldiers and...Michael's eyes widened.

"Why is _Udina_ carrying a gun?" Bailey asked, though it was more of a growl of anger, the Commander standing next to Michael as the two glared at the image of the politician aiming the Predator pistol at the other three Councillors, forcing them to kneel even as he spoke to the Centurion of the Cerberus troops. "That son of a bitch...I'll kill him for this."

"No, I'll have the honours." Michael growled back, fuming. _Caring for humanity_..._right, how long have you been on Cerberus' payroll_? _You damn snake, just when I began to think you would be helpful for once_... He blinked, mind reeling. _Was that why you made Kaidan a Spectre_? _Advised me to focus on the Catalyst instead of Cerberus_? _And Kaidan kept pushing for just that, and now we're_... Michael's fists tightened, making the armour groan. _You'll pay for this_...

EDI wasn't finished though. "The two groups are still some distance away from one another and we can intercept Kai Leng's force here.." The image shifted from that of a camera to that of a map, showing Zakera ward and highlighting the street she meant. "...if we move now."

"Right, then we _move_." Michael turned, gesturing at EDI to follow as he stalked out of the room, indicating to the team waiting outside to follow. "Bailey, you mop up the Cerberus troops as you said, I'll get Kai Leng and then I'll secure the Council." He moved his hand up to his helmet, not waiting for the Commander's response. "Cortez, we need a pick-up at the Council chamber, on the double."

"The heavy weapons have been delivered to C-Sec headquarters and I'm a minute out, sir." Was the quick reply.

"Good man." Michael narrowed his eyes, steps widening in eagerness. "Let's finish this."

8

8

8

"Kai Leng!"

Shouting his challenge, Michael leapt off the shuttle hovering a foot above the ground, his Revenant already spitting bullets.

The woman at the rear was struck by two bullets before she could react, clumsily leapt to the side as best she could...only to fall as Garrus' Black Widow made a fist-sized hole in her chest. The rest were quicker though, legs and arms a blur as they flipped left and right, dodging the fusillade from the deploying team as the man at the front simply turned and held up his right hand, the torrent of shots Michael was firing harmlessly faltering against a flickering shield.

Behind the flickering energy, Michael saw the man's lips twist into a small smile.

_Bastard_! Advancing, Michael found himself ducking on instinct at the sight of something red glowing into his eye...and the Nemesis' shot smashed into the ground next to him as she appeared from a window to his right. Other Cerberus soldiers were running out from the building to the left, making Michael jump to the side as a volley of shots tore through the space he'd just occupied.

"Ambush!" James shouted needlessly, but Michael only shook his head. _Too few men, they can't stop us, I won't let them_!

"Grenades on left! Garrus, right! Biotics, left! EDI, James, on me, front and centre!" Michael hurled a grenade to the left, as did James, the twin explosions tearing through the armour of two soldiers, but mostly knocking men back as their shields faltered...just in time for Liara's singularity and Javik's pull, turning the ambushing force into mere target practice. To the right, the Nemesis that had taken the shot at Michael fell to Garrus, a second shot ripping through the chest of another one appearing a moment later.

Ahead, smoke grenades thrown by the Cerberus troops currently being slaughtered exploded, throwing a thick wall of grey smoke between Michael and his quarry. _No_! Michael leapt forward, into the smoke, refusing to let the man get away as above him, something glittered.

_Shit_!

Michael ducked...and the sword crashed into the Raptor on his back, the blow powerful enough to shatter the weapon, nearly pounding Michael into the dirt.

Growling, Michael spun towards the attacker, slamming the barrel of his heavy Revenant into the side of her head, then again with a backhand swing, knocking her backwards. She fell...only to roll with the impact, landing on one knee, hand catching the sword that she'd nearly dropped...

And Michael stomped down on her arm, pinning it and the weapon in her hand against the ground as he brought his Revenant to bear. The woman looked up, red lenses boring into him...and he squeezed the trigger, the stream of bullets tearing off the left half of the woman's helmet and head in a shower of blood, bone and electronics.

A moment later he looked up and back, trying to make sense of the battle.

His team had been caught in the open, but was not backing down, in fact, the Cerberus ambush lacked the numbers to overwhelm their team. Garrus, Liara and Javik had moved to the right, taking cover in the buildings there as those Cerberus soldiers that hadn't had the tables turned on them sought cover on the left side of the street. Meanwhile the enemy swords-women had been reduced to three, besides the one Michael had just killed and the one Garrus had caught, a third now lay in the dirt, biotic energies still coursing through the stricken body.

James and EDI was still in the open though. EDI's 'hair' was marked by a diagonal slash, but she seemed unharmed as she gripped the wrists of the woman she was fighting, holding the sword back as the Cerberus soldier knocked the machine over with the force of her charge, only to be dragged down atop EDI and then rolled onto _her_ back as the two fought for dominance, the two tumbling back and forth in a furious struggle. James on the other hand was facing two women on his own, his heavy armour already covered with numerous scratches and holes from the swinging blades as he used his shotgun to block what swings he could from his much more agile foes. One of the women stumbled though when a Cerberus soldier accidentally winged her with one of his shots...and that was all James needed as he crashed his heavy weapon into her head, knocking her over with the crack of a snapping neck.

Michael looked back...and saw Kai Leng smirk at him...and then turn and run down the street, towards the Council.

_Hell no_! Snarling, Michael started to run after him. "Garrus! Take care of this! I'm going after Kai Leng!"

"Michael, wait!" Liara cried out, words nearly lost in the din of an explosion.

Michael didn't listen, instead he ran even faster, watching Kai Leng throw a glance back...and then veer to the right, leaping through the large doorway to a storeroom.

Michael leapt after him, growling as he thundered into the dark room...only to come to a stop, head whipping left and right to look around himself in confusion. _Huh_? _He was here just a moment ago, where did he_...

Behind him, the door slammed shut.

..._go_?

8

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8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being such a little blighter. _


	31. Chapter 31

_Cover_.

Michael obeyed his instinct, sliding to the left and ducking down behind a shoulder-high metal container, hands swiftly moving to reload his Revenant as he glanced backwards. _Well_..._shit_. The door there was not simply closed, but locked and with the console closed down, metal bars having slid into place behind it, a burglar-protection that also doubled quite well as a prison. "_That's_ his plan?" Michael muttered with an annoyed frown. "Seal me in?"

"No." The reply came, making Michael whip his head around and raise his rifle, catching sight of Kai Leng fifty feet away, he too ducking behind a large container. In fact, the warehouse was filled with groups of them stacked in a disorderly fashion. All of it cast in a few pale lights from above casting deep shadows into every corner. "My plan is to kill you."

Michael arched an eyebrow, looking past his opponent and noticing the door at the other side of the building, closed, locked, but lacking the bars the one his own had. _Shame it might as well be miles away with him there_..._guess I have to kill him first to reach the Council_. He bared his teeth in a wolfish grin. _I can live with that_. "Oh? That's it? You might find that difficult."

"You're a skilled combatant, I admit..." Kai Leng replied, a pale smile on his lips as he looked over at Michael from his cover, holding his gaze with the odd cybernetics over his eyes. "...but I'm an artist."

"Certainly got the smug attitude down." Michael snorted, drawing a small chuckle out of the man. "Especially considering your little scheme at the tower is at an end and you have to get through me to get the Council." _Eugh, if I didn't want to throttle Udina so much and kill Kai Leng, I'd almost let him have them_...

A mocking laugh escaped Kai Leng. "Oh is _that_ what you think we're doing here?" Now it was the assassin's turn to bare his teeth into a grin. "Don't get me wrong, having the council to interrogate and learn all those little secrets they've kept from you..." Michael frowned in irritation, but then forced his face to smoothen, he wouldn't let the assassin get to him. "...and to decrypt what data we _did_ get from the tower's computers, will be of immense help to Cerberus." The man shook his head. "But those are all secondary goals."

Michael felt a shiver down his spine, but forced a cocky smile. "And that means the primary objective is...?"

"You."

"Oh?" Michael arched an eyebrow, having expected the reply and prepared himself to be properly uncaring. "I'm honoured."

"You should be." Kai Leng replied, sounding amused. "You've been too successful, and in the _wrong_ ways. You should have been _ignoring_ Cerberus, instead you hit our facility and take our scientists, not to mention the Prothean, keeping him like an attack-dog instead of properly dissecting his mind." The man shook his head. "The Illusive Man doesn't appreciate meddling."

"I'm sorry, your own dog was not convincing enough, I suppose..." Michael smirked. "On that note, when _I_ get _my_ hands on him, he'll be the one having _his_ mind dissected."

Kai Leng shrugged. "Udina's a deluded fool, desiring nothing but power without thinking about the consequences, maybe you were wrong to make Anderson Councillor instead of him? A starving man always bites off more than he can chew...still, he has his uses, unlike _you_." The assassin frowned. "You were supposed to look for the _Catalyst_, not form alliances with _aliens_. Curing the Krogan..." _Ah, they don't know_..._good to know_. "...do you have any idea how _dangerous_ that will be for humanity? Eighty percent are as good as lost on Earth, ten percent are with the Alliance, you're willing to throw _half_ of what will remain away into a foolish battle. Even if you somehow won, that would leave little more than ten percent of the original population to fend themselves against the Krogan and the rest of the aliens...that can't be allowed to happen. You would have been useful in finding the Catalyst, but your little side-trips is costing humanity its place in the future. No, with you gone it will all fall apart, humanity will be saved."

Michael shook his head. "This isn't about humanity, not that I expect someone like _you_ to understand that." He rolled his eyes. "Besides, you might be speaking, but it's the Illusive Man's words, you're just another of his brainwashed thugs."

"The Illusive Man and my mind is as one on this, we look beyond the one battle, to the future."

"A future that won't happen if we don't beat the Reapers."

"Which we won't by trying to destroy them like you intend to."

"Oh for..." Michael sighed, shaking his head. "Right, debate over, you intend to kill me? Come get me."

"Ah, finally, the invitation I was waiting for." Kai Leng rose to his full length as Michael steadied his aim against his cover. A flash of white teeth appeared in his sight. "This'll be fun."

Kai Leng leapt forward...and his shield flashed as the first of Michael's shots struck true. His right hand swinging, the man threw a pellet in front of him...and smoke burst from it between the two combatants.

Michael's response was a jump to the right and out of cover, throwing a shock grenade in front of him before spraying the gun from side to side, intent on stunning his foe with the grenade Kasumi had preferred while locating his target by the tell-tale flash of a struck shield.

He struck nothing, and there was no grunt of pain when the grenade went off.

Instead the smoke cleared...and Kai Leng was gone.

_Oh great, I'm fighting a ninja_. Michael grumbled, swiftly reloading as he continued to the right, finding another stack of boxes for cover. Kai Leng's voice was calm, arrogant...and somewhere to his left, near the cover Michael had just used. "I must say, it's invigorating to fight another N7, too often I'm sent to fight much easier targets, most would have been begging for mercy already."

"Yeah, I bet taking on an ageing Anderson was tough, took both your legs, he told me." Michael smirked and spoke before the man could reply. "Meanwhile, while you've been taking on these _easier_ targets, I've been fighting armies of Collectors and mercenaries, not to mention killing a _Reaper_ in personal combat..." He grinned, eyes darting left and right to catch sight of his target. "...still feeling confident?"

The sound of a light tap was the only sound giving Kai Leng away.

Spinning around, Michael dropped into a crouch, Revenant pouring out shots as Kai Leng grunted in surprise and barely managed to leap high above the salvo and Michael. _Fuck_! Michael threw himself forward, feeling an impact to his helmet as Kai Leng's sword gashed it instead of cutting through it as he would have, had Michael not moved. Rolling and twisting with the impact, Michael came back up into a crouch facing the other way, gun sweeping up to target his foe...and finding nothing. _What the_...? Kai Leng chuckled. "Pretty much."

Michael blinked, trying to locate the voice.

A moment later he saw the outline of the man, barely discernible in the poor light, run back into cover before Michael could react. "Huh...neat trick." Michael held back a grimace, a sting of grief over his dead companion. "But I've seen it before."

"Who did you think I got it from?" Kai Leng chuckled...and Michael rose to his feet and reloaded his gun as his face turned grim. "Cerberus doesn't let things go to waste. The Collector base was of course the major find, but the thief's little stealth technology was also good to find on what was left of her..."

Michael tightened the grip on his Revenant. _Kasumi_...

"And subject Zero...her neural network had developed in fascinating ways, it turned into a nice blueprint for the Phantom girls you've already been introduced to, the weakest biotic turned into a potent weapon...all thanks to someone you failed to protect."

Michael clenched his jaw tight, teeth nearly crushing against one another. _Jack_..._I_..._failed_ _you_...

"As to that old mercenary...Zaeed? Him...well we just threw him out the airlock." Kai Leng chuckled. "I suppose, given the state we found him in, that you found him expendable? You're a harsh man..."

_Lies_! Michael took a step forward...and then stopped, remembering Miranda's words. _No_..._I'll make their deaths worth it_..._and I'd do it a disservice by reacting to the baiting_. A quick breath to calm himself...and Michael forced a smile. "Trying to taunt me into rash action, are we? I won't fall for something like that."

"Oh but you already _have_." Kai Leng's voice taunted, echoing throughout the warehouse. "You think Thane, a _sickly_ Drell, could sneak up on me and my Phantoms? No, I _let_ him find us, I _let_ him call you...and then I gave you a _reason_ to come at me, to pursue me with no thought...you're too loyal and angry for your own good, Shepard, this trap was easily sprung."

Michael inched backwards, eyes darting left and right, annoyed with how swift his heart was beating. _Dammit, don't let him get under your skin_. "That still leaves the small task of killing me, and you're sure taking your sweet time..." He managed a soft chuckle. "Bitten off more than you can chew, perhaps?"

"No rush." There was a grin in Kai Leng's voice. "A battle like this is like a fine wine, you have to enjoy it."

_Arrogant_..._like the Reapers_. Michael narrowed his eyes, his nervousness suddenly gone, stopping his retreat. _And I don't retreat to no Reaper, nor their pale shadows_. "Really? Well I think you're trying to come up with a way to approach me with some kind of trick, because you know you can't handle me in a straight fight."

"Is that so?" A flicker of white...and the Assassin appeared twenty feet away as his cloak died out, his face marked by the thin smile Michael had begun to loathe.

Michael took aim...and the assassin's arm whipped forward like lightning.

_Damn_! Michael raised his Revenant before his face just in time to block the whirling dagger, the blade dug in deep, making sparks fly as it bore into Michael's rifle.

Michael was quick though, letting go of the weapon with his right hand, it darted down, drawing the Talon at his hip and levelling it at his foe...only to find darkness remaining where the man had once been. _Oh for_...

Holding back a growl of annoyance, Michael looked down at the Revenant, arching a brow at the weapon embedded into it. "Clever, a weapon too slow to activate the shields, used to disable my much more advanced weapon..." He frowned, finding something about it...bothersome.

"Thank you, I learnt it from you, your report about your fight with Saren was most...illuminating." _Ah_. Michael tensed, anger coursing through him at the thought of Cerberus using his own tactics against him. "Of course, I couldn't help but improve upon it." _Huh_?

A beep.

_Pain_!

Flying through the air, Michael forced himself to go limp even as he dimly noticed his Revenant split in two by the blast, pieces flying through the air...

_Pain_!

He crashed into a concrete pillar, whiteness flashing before his vision for a moment before he crashed to the ground. Groaning, he felt his helmet break as he dropped onto all fours, the pieces of his helmet falling down on the floor before his dim vision, the reflection cast by the dark blood on the pieces glittering up at him like spinning stars.

_Get up_!

He leapt to his feet, left hand coming up to steady his right as he swept his aim left and rig-

Kai Leng's right hand gripped Michael's right wrist before he could turn the weapon to the right, left hand bringing his reverse gripped sword up for a thrust at Michael's face...

_Hell no_!

...Michael's left hand let go of his right as it shot up, gauntlet knocking the thrust to the side before moving to backhand his foe in the face...

...And Kai Leng ducked, letting go of Michael and sweeping his left arm low...

_Pain_!

Grunting, Michael stumbled sideways, though his armour had taken the brunt of the hit, the sweeping sword had still smashed in between a pair of plates and opened a wound across Michael's stomach.

There was no time to examine the wound though, throwing himself to the right, Michael felt the assassin's blade graze his forehead as he rolled, leapt up...and found his shot hitting nothing but air as Kai Leng leapt behind a crate. A buzzing sound...and Kai Leng turned invisible, the blur quickly disappearing as he retreated out of sight.

_Don't let him see you hurting_. Holding back a groan, Michael moved to reload his pistol, warily moving sideways, edging closer to the distant door. _If he sees me getting closer to it, he'll have to attack, as long as I can keep him from more of his tricks, I can take him_...

"Virmire was only _one_ of your missions I've studied." Kai Leng's voice called out, sounding frustratingly calm, arrogant, in _control_...it made Michael grit his teeth in frustration. "Every scrap of information about you and your missions, I've read. I've studied every video of you, been running simulations...I know how you _fight_, how you _think_..." A pause. "I'm impressed, I truly am, Cerberus did right to bring you back to take on the Collectors. An expert soldier indeed...but in the end, you're a Commander, your strength lies in using the skills of others as much as yourself...so that's why I got you here. Separate from the others, you're less, you're vulnerable."

_That sounds_..._worryingly_ _true_. Michael forced a cocky smile though. "I've handled worse than you on my own, I'm not worried."

"You are a poor liar." Michael's eyes widened as he turned his head to the left and upwards, finding Kai Leng looking down at him from atop a pile of containers with his head cocked to the side. "Not that it matters."

Michael brought his pistol to bear...and Kai Leng kicked at the topmost container, sending it tumbling towards the Spectre, forcing him to leap to the right. _Move_! And then roll backwards, Kai Leng's sword throwing up sparks as it struck the ground where Michael had just been standing. _Move_! Jumping back once more, Michael felt the air before his face part as the upwards swing of the assassin nearly split his skull in two. _Move_! He was moving on instinct now, ducking low as the third swing swept over his head. _Attack_! Shoulder first, he launched himself forward, crashing into Kai Leng's gut, driving the wind out of the assassin before slamming the barrel of his pistol into his foe's hip.

He fired...and only hit air as the assassin twisted his hip in the last instance, right knee coming up and smashing into Michael's face.

For a moment, darkness filled his vision...and then Michael found himself staggering backwards, Kai Leng leaping after him, sword now held straight, coming down in an overhead chop.

A clang...and Michael parried the blade above their heads with his pistol, Kai Leng's hand shot up to grip Michael's wrist...and Michael's free hand followed to grip the assassin's weapon-arm. Before him, Kai Leng's breath brushed against his face as the assassin smirked. "I expected more, Shepard."

A growl escaped Michael "You got it."

He smashed his forehead into the man's face.

Grunting as much in surprise as in pain, Kai Leng stumbled backwards...and Michael quickly took aim and squeezed the trigger.

The first shot struck clean, making Kai Leng's shield flash bright as the powerful shot overloaded it...and the second made the assassin gasp as, despite throwing himself to the side, a few pellets smashed into his lightly armoured chest.

Instantly, the assassin turned into a blur as he activated his cloak. "Come back, _coward_!" Michael roared and threw himself after the blur, pistol tracking the elusive target.

Only for the blur to launch itself forward with a hiss. Left hand sweeping, Kai Leng's reverse-gripped sword appeared in a backhand swing at Michael's hand, knocking his aim far to the right as the weapon harmlessly fired its final shot into a barrel. As the cloak of Kai Leng faded, Michael caught a glimpse of teeth barred into a snarl...and then found himself knocked nearly off his feet as the man's right fist caught him in the jaw. "Coward, am I!?"

Michael tried to answer, but instead found himself gasping for air as he brought both arms up, gauntlets crossed to parry the swing of the assassin as he spun through the air, sword slashing down in a blur of motion.

A crack...and Michael dropped onto one knee as the force of the blow smashed into his gauntlets. "I'm not the one hiding behind allies and aliens!" For a moment Kai Leng just pressed the blade down...and then he sent Michael onto his back as his foot shot up and caught the Spectre in the chest. "Unlike you, I have a purpose! I fight for a pure humanity! What do _you_ fight for!?"

"You're deluded." Michael only managed to gasp, scrambling back onto one knee in time for Kai Leng's swing, left hand raised high to parry it, only for pain to blossom from his face as the blade forced his hand far enough down for it to graze his skull._ Die you son of a_...! Ignoring the pain, Michael's right fist tightened...and the omni-blade shot forth even as he leapt to his feet and swung at Kai Leng's exposed stomach.

Only for the assassin to spin clockwise, letting the swing pass through the space he'd occupied as he ducked low while continuing his spin next to the missing Michael, glee in his voice "And you're _predictable_!"

_Pain_!

Crying out, Michael stumbled forward, then fell forward as his right knee gave out. Gasping, he looked back, finding blood pouring from the inside of the knee where Kai Leng's blade had cut deeply. _Shit_! "I _told_ you I knew your mind and how you fight." Kai Leng anger's was gone, his self-control regained as the assassin straightened and turned to face him, lips a thin line. "That _includes_ the weapon you've used on our men, I know _your_ tricks, I've neutralized your _allies_...I've _won_." He swept his sword to the side, sending a few droplets of Michael's blood splattering the floor. "And you've _failed_."

_F_..._failed_...?

Michael vision turned red.

_Never_!

Roaring, he launched himself forward, the burning of his knee forgotten...

Ahead, Kai Leng spun counter clockwise with his sword near his waist while leaping to the side...and Michael screamed before he even felt the pain as the impact against his hip made him spin and crash to the floor.

_God_...

Groaning, white pain flashing through his brain as he reached down, Michael felt broken armour at his left hip, then gasped as he felt something broken shift. _I need to_... He glanced upwards, over his head, seeing the door...it was far away and slightly blurry, as if just a reflection. "It was a good fight." Looking back up, Michael founds Kai Leng standing above him, sword still held in reverse, but now with both hands. The assassin was smirking, making Michael's battered body fume with anger. "Shame you weren't any better."

The blade came down.

And Michael's hands shot up.

"Heh." Kai Leng's smirk widened as he found his blade gripped by both of Michael's hands, holding it back. "Stop trying to fight." He leant his weight into the thrust, pressing the blade downwards with his body. An image of a Reaper demanding the same flickered before Michael's vision. _Never_...! He grit his teeth, a tendril of blood running down his cheek...and pushed.

All it did was to push the blade down towards his gut, rather than away.

"Fine, take the painful road." Kai Leng snorted, leant back...and then slammed his body down on his grip.

A groan of steel cutting his armour...and Michael found blood pouring from his hands and over the blade...and then his eyes rolled back in their sockets as the blade punched into his gut. _I_..._I_ _have_ _to_..._I_ _must_...

His hands dropped to the floor.

He watched Kai Leng growl and take a step to his right, frowning in irritation as he tugged at his blade, only to find it stuck in Michael's body and armour. A final grunt...and Michael felt an immense coldness sweep over him as the blade was pulled out. _The_ _Reapers_..._I_..._need_ _to_...

"**You have failed**."

_Harbinger_, _I_ _won't_..._stop_...

A hand gripped Michael by the hair, pulling his head backwards to expose his throat as he watched a bloodied blade sweep up past his face. Eyes following it, he saw it rise high, ready to strike.

"**You cannot win**."

The blade swept down.

_I'm sorry_.

And shattered.

Blinking, slowly, as if time had turned into a crawl, Michael's eyes moved to look upwards...and found the door there blown inwards. Garrus was stalking right through it, eyes afire with rage as his weapon jerked against his shoulder from the shot. Right beside him, EDI ran in, omni-tool aglow from having shorted out Kai Leng's shields, a moment later, Liara was leaping past both of them, eyes wide in a mix of terror and rage, a massive orb of purple energy hurtling forth from her hands, sending Kai Leng flying.

_Shouldn't there be_..._sounds_...?

Kai Leng was out of sight now, but Garrus was shouting angrily at Javik and James rushing in, the pair joining him in chasing a flickering shadow. _They won't catch him_..._a_ _shame_... Michael blinked. _Huh_..._it's awfully dark in here_...

Then two pairs of hands were moving over his body, his head pushing up to rest against a pair of legs. Liara's hands were on his face, brushing blood away, getting some in the stubble he'd yet again forgotten to shave. _I must look so silly_... He smiled at her, somehow having trouble to feel concerned with the horrified look on her face, her wide blue eyes darting over his face, mouth open, as in a permanent gasp. _I never told you_..._that you're cute when worried_... She was crying, and Michael tried to brush the tears away, only to find his hand refusing to move. _Oh well_..._I'll do it later_..._when I've had a rest_...

Darkness.

Then a gasp, his own, rattling and weak, a pale reflection of the world returning to his consciousness.

His being was a dull and slow throbbing, centred around his heart...

His soul...far away, drifting above him, as if wondering why the body was still tethering it...

_I'm_..._tired_...

"Up the dosage!" The words were shouted by the blurry shape of Liara so close he could count her freckles, yet seemed to come from a great distance...

"Maximum dosage applied." EDI's voice replied...and Michael tensed, a spike of pain shooting through his spine. _Ah_! And again. _Ah_! He twitched, a spasm shooting through his body, his spine curving...and another two pair of hands appeared, pushing him down as Garrus' face appeared before his vision, the Turian's face grim and...scared?

_Ah_! _God_! Michael lost sight of the Turian a moment later, the agony filling his vision with white light.

"Give him something for the pain, dammit!" Garrus voice, distant and cracking with grief.

"Already at maximum recommended-"

"Just do it!" Michael felt the needle...and then cried out, the strong hands on his body unable to hold him back for one horrifying moment as his spine pushed upwards, bones within him snapping with loud cracks as the muscles within him tensed beyond what the body could take. "Spirits! _Do_ something!"

"Any more and he'll rip himself apart!" James' voice, lost in the roar in Michael's ears as his mind screamed at him.

_Die_! _Die_! _Die_! _Just_ _die_ _already_!

"More medi-gel!"

Michael's head snapped left and right, turning the world into a white blur, hands shooting up, fingers curling into claws, tendons within straining until the bones within began to crack.

"He's overdosing! It's too much!"

Above, Liara's hands gripped his face, holding him fast as best she could, her tearful eyes filling his vision. He could only mutely stare back, mouth agape with the screams that wouldn't come, with his begs. _Let me die_!_ Let me die_! _Let me die_!

"His nervous system can't take it! The pain will kill him!"

"Spirits...damn you, Shepard!" Garrus growled, a pair of fists thumping into Michael's chest. "Don't _do_ this to me!"

And above him, Liara hesitated, then leant closer.

Through Michael's agonised mind, a surprised thought shot through him. _Is she going to kiss me_?

She was close, all that existed was her eyes, large and blue.

And then black.

"_Embrace_ _eternity_."

Michael's chest heaved with a deep breath as he suddenly felt as if his body had been dipped into icy cold water, the fire of his wounds making it boil wherever the two forces met. A collision of ice and fire, of white and red, of chaos and order...the forces crashed together, were smashed apart...and melded together.

A white light, rushing towards him.

A spinning tunnel of lightning in blue and red.

And Michael gasped, eyes and mouth wide as he stared up at the ceiling, body weak and in pain...but definitely there, no longer a broken anchor of his fleeing soul.

Above him, Garrus was holding him, the Turian staring at him as if he'd seen a ghost. "M-Michael...?"

"Present..." Michael managed to grunt, triggering the smallest of smiles from the Turian as he reached down and grasped Michael's hand...and though it hurt, Michael forced himself to squeeze the hand. "Where's..." He turned his head...and saw Liara. The Asari was lying on her side, knees close to her chest and arms close to her chest as she whimpered, pale and trembling. "...Liara?"

"I...I'm fine..." The Asari gasped, forcing herself to look up at him, to smile...and it was so feigned Michael nearly wept. "I took a chance..."

And Michael smiled as best he could. "Brought me back from the dead again, T'soni?"

"It's what friends do." Liara replied with a little cock to her head and a pale smile.

_Yeah_..._friends_. Michael struggled not to grimace, the growing knowledge digging into his gut making him feel guilt, then sadness...and finally, impotent anger._ Damn the Reapers, damn Cerberus, damn them all for making us go through this_..._we_..._she doesn't deserve this_! Liara, perhaps sensing his thoughts, turned her head, coughing weakly. "Thank you." It wasn't enough, but _nothing_ he could say or do would ever be enough.

The Asari nodded weakly, but didn't look back.

_The day isn't over, soldier_. _You're going to let Kai Leng get away with this_?_ Let them weaken us by dividing us_?_ Give the Reapers another edge_?

Michael's mind shifted, the impotent anger turning into a fire, a fire fuelled by his agony as much as his hatred of Reapers and defiance.

_No_.

"Garrus, help me up."

"What? You must-"

"Get the Council." Michael interrupted with a growl, battered body protesting violently at the very _idea_ of moving...and his mind refusing to care. "I'm finishing this."

"_I_ can-"

"_Now_, Garrus."

With a reluctant sigh, Garrus grabbed Michael by the arm and helped him to his feet.

With a force of will, Michael held back his scream of agony as came to his feet, and then another as he forced his right foot forward, followed by immense pain of lifting the left, body covered in sweat and blood as he forced himself forward. _I'm not done yet, I'll never stop, I won't_! The others stared...and Michael glared right ahead as he gritted his teeth and continued._ I'm coming Udina, Cerberus will not win this battle, and you will pay_!

_Anything else is unacceptable._

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being such a tough little nut._


	32. Chapter 32

_Damn, this hurts_...

The sounds of his steps were painfully loud to his ears, armoured boots kicking up the gravel that a nearby wall had been reduced to. He didn't like the sound of his breathing either, a rattling sound telling a tale of exhaustion and injury.

_At least it's nothing that can't be patched up_.

Kaidan grimaced, he knew he was right, yet his leg, shoulder and chest were willing to disagree with his assessment of the situation.

He glanced down, shuddering at the sight. The large wound through his calf had mostly healed up by generous application of medi-gel, turning to previously pouring blood into a trickle. His left shoulder looked worse, the armour torn off and the bandage that he'd been forced to apply stained red by the large wound within, a gift from the sword-woman he'd faced for what felt like ages ago. As to the injury to his chest, it was a burnt crater the size of a fist smashed through his armour and having scorched the skin beneath...the mark left by a Nemesis after a grenade had knocked out his shields.

He had destroyed the Atlas that had shot down his shuttle and then handled the sword-armed Cerberus woman by impaling her on a steel rod sticking out from the ruins they'd fought in...and assumed he could rush after the Council. The injury to his chest was a reminder of how wrong he'd been. The battle of the Citadel was clearly diminishing in intensity as Cerberus slunk off, but there were still agents out in the wards, and in particular in Zakera ward to ensure they could steal away the Council...Kaidan had learnt that the hard way.

_Why don't they sneak the Council off with all those troops_? _Why put up hidden sentries instead_..._it makes no sense_. Kaidan frowned. _Maybe they're using them as bait to draw of C-Sec forces from the Presidium_?_ But I've seen no C-Sec troops, they still don't seem to know the Council's here_..._and it seems foolish to use what you came for as bait in a battle you can't win_. _There's something here I'm not aware of_...

_At least there have been no more ambushes_. Kaidan grimaced, hand coming up to hover above his chest, knowing touching it would hurt more than soothe. _And at least my face is still attached_. A low growl escaped him at the thought, the bitterness the battle had distracted him from returning in double strength._ Damn you, Michael_.

_Damn you for not helping the Council, damn you for aiding Cerberus against the Collectors rather than go to the Alliance, damn you for for making it so hard to trust you, damn you for quitting the Alliance, damn you for never following the rules, damn you for fooling James onto a similar path_! He shook his head, commanding himself to stop, but his mind continued to churn in revolt as old bitterness took hold. _Damn you for being so cold_!_ Damn you for not being yourself_! _Damn you for disregarding all compassion and humanity_!_ Damn you for letting Ashley die_!

Kaidan stopped, tensing, the hand holding his Predator tightening as the other closed into a fist.

_He didn't do it on purpose, he did try_...

Kaidan shook his head and continued, the old anger and bitterness, something he thought he'd left behind, pushing aside his usual reasonable self.

_Yet he not only got her killed, but left me mutilated_!_ Stay or go, you don't hesitate between __helping Ashley and her team and protecting the bomb_! It was unreasonable, angry...and Kaidan couldn't help but embrace it, tired of compromise, of always being so understanding...he growled under his breath as his steps widened. _There __will__ be a reckoning, Shepard, I'll drag you to court for what you did to the Krogan, to the Alliance, to __everyone_...

_But first, I'll save the Council you chose to abandon_.

Kaidan looked around himself, suppressing his worry with an effort of will. With his shuttle shot down, he had little in the way of a view of the surroundings, and the Cerberus ambushes as well as his injuries had slowed him down to a limping walk. There were side-passages, houses they could hide in...the Council could be anywhere. Yet somehow he felt driven to continue down the main road, the way the Council had been lead down it in the middle of the road telling him they would continue following it...or so he hoped.

_If only I had the Normandy to do sweeps, or at least Cortez with his shuttle_..._damn_ _you_, _Michael_. There was a hint of jealousy in the thought and Kaidan grudgingly tried to push it down. _He breaks the rules, gets people killed, joins __terrorists_..._and he gets __rewarded_!_ People look up to him_! _Follow him_! _My love adored him, despite him pushing her away_! _And then he gets her killed_! _Where's the justice in that_!? _I've done __everything__ the Alliance has asked from me, yet I never get the same success, the same recognition_! _I lose Ashley, he wins Tali, I lose my face, he gets brought back from the dead, I do work for Anderson, he for the Illusive Man, and __he's__ the one they put in charge of the Normandy_! _The one they __trust_! _From soldier to admiral_! _And he __knows__ he doesn't deserve it, yet he takes it anyway_!

Now fuming, Kaidan's steps widened, the pain in his leg a distant thing as his narrowed eyes focused on the ground ahead.

_I'll expose him, after this war, I'll expose every dark little secret and lie_._ He doesn't deserve the adoration, nor his rewards, instead I'll make __sure__ he __gets__ what he deserves_.

Was there enemy movement in the windows? Kaidan tensed, but all he could see were the frightened faces of civilians, humans and aliens alike, staring out from them in horror at their street that had turned into a battleground. Kaidan raised his hand, showing himself a friend, but at the same time gestured at them to stay low and found some at least obeying him and putting themselves in a safer position. _This is what Spectres do, Michael, we __protect__ people, we don't abandon them_. _And I'll continue to do so, without the Normandy and you_. The thought was oddly liberating, making him smile, though it was a grim smile. _I'll keep protecting people, and I'll find the Catalyst, no more of your short-cuts_!_ I'll do things __right__ from now on_.

In the back of his mind, a small voice was calling out a warning,telling him he was taking a dangerous road.

He ignored it, it was high time he took a more active part in the war, did what Michael did, but _right_.

Then, the sound of a shot, followed by two more, made Kaidan jerk up straight, pistol raised, wondering if perhaps another ambush was being sprung on him._ Dammit, I'm too tired, I should have paid more attention_!

But no shots struck him, nor did any Cerberus troops make an appearance. Instead he heard three more shots further ahead, just to the left in a crossing in the road...and Kaidan found himself go pale.

_The Council_!

Ignoring the pain blazing up his leg, Kaidan ran forward, breath hitched and pistol ready as he crossed the space between himself and the crossroad before turning a sharp left. Gaze moving up across a flight of stairs, flanked by a pair of terraced gardens, the path lead up to a moderately sized platform squeezed in between two office buildings before it no doubt lead on into another street.

That was, however, not the important part.

To the right side, the three alien Councillors were sealed into three coffin-like white containers, mouths open as they spoke through the glass showing their faces, yet no sounds escaping them. Udina was at the top of the platform, shaking his head as the pistol in his hands desperately moved from one opponent to another..._familiar_ opponents.

_What the hell_!?

Suddenly he was moving again, Kaidan's legs, despite his injuries, carrying him up the stairs two steps in a time, then past Udina, omni-tool aglow and pistol held at the leader of the group as he growled. "Shepard, what the hell do you think you're..." His growl died in his throat at the sight before him.

The corpses of the Cerberus soldiers that had held the Council hostage laid on the ground, yet they _still_ looked in better shape than the man before him. There was a definite red line across Michael's stomach between the plates of his armour, dried blood covering much of his armour below it. Another, deep and nasty-looking wound, has been punched into his gut to the left, the armour smashed inwards as blood still dripped from the no doubt medi-gel assisted healing. Further, blood had dried in small rivulets across his face from a deep cut across the top of his forehead, and more had poured over his right calf from the inside of his knee, a leg the man could barely stand on. His left hip also sported an injury, the armour torn up and revealing sliced flesh beneath, a hint of white bone sticking up from the injury.

"Dear god..." Kaidan stared at the man, then at those following him, the group looking hesitant, one eye on Udina and Kaidan while the other nervously eyed their Commander.

A man ignoring them, eyes afire with the life and anger his body shouldn't be able to possess any more, the man glared at Kaidan. "Out of the way, Alenko." The voice was a hoarse hiss, as if something spoken from beyond the grave...and Kaidan nearly obeyed on instinct before he remembered himself and steadied his stance. "I _said_...out of the way."

"What? So you can kill Udina?" Kaidan swallowed, eyes darting over the troop behind Michael. The man was holding a pistol, but barely looked capable of raising it any more, never mind able to fight...yet his _team_...they'd follow his every command, _whatever_ he told them to do. Even _James_ looked grim as he met Kaidan's gaze...and the Spectre felt his old bitterness resurface with renewed strength as he glared back. _Damn you, Michael_..._don't lead more people astray_... "I won't let you do that."

"I'm not going to _kill_ him." Michael's face twisted into a mad grin. "I'm going to _hurt_ him." The eyes staring back at Kaidan came alight with a mad glow of delight at the thought of it.

Behind Kaidan, he felt Udina shudder, though to his credit, the Councillor's voice was steady. "Attacking the Council? You've revealed yourself a traitor, Shepard!"

The Spectre scoffed, the gun in his hand moving over to track Kaidan, his growl low and primal. "I told you to get out of the way..."

"And _I_ said I won't let you harm the Council." Kaidan growled back, narrowing his eyes.

For a moment that felt like an eternity, the two glared at one another. Kaidan felt his old resentment grow for every second, yet held the rage back with an effort of will. _I'm not Michael, I'm not going to let my emotions rule me_. Michael wasn't doing the same, his eyes alight with a growing rage as he stared at Kaidan, chest heaving with fuming breaths.

Then Garrus cleared his throat, the Turian speaking slowly, rifle lowered. "Kaidan, look around you." The biotic arched an eyebrow at Garrus._ Never did like you_... He tensed, but reluctantly agreed, gaze lingering on the alien Councillors, trapped inside the odd chests with the Cerberus symbol marked on them, then to the Cerberus troopers...and Kaidan found a frown creasing his brow. "Think this through."

"Udina's the traitor, not Shepard." EDI chimed in...and Kaidan took a confused step backwards. _That_..._can't be right_. _He saved me from Cerberus assassins before_! _Why would he_... He shook his head, confused.

"That's preposterous!" Udina snorted, stepping close to Kaidan, tone terse. "They came here and were about to kill me! You heard Shepard yourself! You can't trust him! You know what things are inside of him, and now he's aiming a gun at me! Whether he knows it or not, he's helping Cerberus! Or the Reapers!"

Kaidan licked his lips nervously, eyeing the group before him, though only Javik and Michael still had their weapons raised, the later with eyes nearly afire with a growing rage, there was no question as to what the others would do if things turned to a fight._ I'm not afraid of dying doing what's right_..._but what __is__ right_!?

Then Garrus gestured around himself, holding Kaidan's gaze. "Six dead Cerberus soldiers lie here, who do you think killed them? What, you think Udina stole a pistol and overwhelmed them?" The scorn in Garrus' voice was overwhelming...and made Kaidan throw the growling politician an uncertain glance.

Udina took a step forward, now standing next to Kaidan as he glared at the group before him, then lowering his pistol as he threw Kaidan a desperate and insistent look. "I took my chances! And now they're trying to confuse you and get away with their crime! I'm the one who's always been honest with you! Shepard's a Cerberus lackey and the others are covering up for him! You if _anyone_ should know how good he's at making others follow his lead!"

_He's right_. Kaidan's eyes narrowed, all too easily remembering Ashley's devotion to the man, his own...only to have his world collapse around him...all because of the man who now stood before him and had the _gall_ to just glare at him! Kaidan glared back...and a low, animal, growl escaped Michael.

"And what of the Cerberus containers holding the other Councillors?" Garrus snapped, ignoring Udina as he stared at Kaidan, gaze intense. "Do you see a _fourth_ container?"

Kaidan blinked, gaze once more moving to the strange devices, only finding _three_, the Councillors within screaming at him from beyond their sound-proof glass. "I...you're...right?" His frown deepened, mind a swirl of confusion.

"Don't let them trick you!" Udina protested, voice full of desperation as he turned to face Kaidan. "It's...it's not what it looks like!"

"Then let's open the containers." Garrus retorted, voice cool. "See what the _other_ Councillors have to say about what's happened..."

Udina took a step back, eyes alight with panic...and Kaidan felt it.

_Betrayal_.

Staring at Udina, no longer recognising the man, Kaidan swallowed, then nodded. "Yes..." He turned back to Garrus. "...yes let's-"

_Pain_.

White lights danced before his vision as Kaidan flew backwards before landing in one of the gardens on the side of the stairs, gasping, he looked up...and his eyes widened in shock and fear.

His eyes alight with rage, Michael sat astride him, left hand closing around Kaidan's throat as his right hand pulled back and closed into a fist. "A Cerberus agent, am I?" It was a angry hiss...and Kaidan's world was filled by white light. "A Reaper thrall!?" For a moment, Kaidan saw the man's fist move backwards...and then white light flashed before his vision again. "_Untrustworthy_!?"

Somewhere behind Michael, someone was screaming.

_God, I should_-

White light.

_I must_-

White light.

_I didn't_-

"EDI, guard Udina! Get the Councillors!" Garrus' voice, with the sudden pain throbbing through Kaidan's skull, the Turian seemed so distant... "James, help me!"

"I've done _everything_ I can!" Michael's spittle struck Kaidan's face, followed by a thunderous fist. "_More_!" Another fist...and Kaidan felt something within his skull crack. "I _died_ for you people! I've sacrificed _friends_ for you!" _Me_? Kaidan blinked, mind dulled and confused by pain, blood trickling into his eye. "I've suffered more than you can _imagine_ for you people! And you call me _untrustworthy_!?" For a moment, Michael's voice seemed to tremble with...fear? Then a new growl escaped him and his fist descended once more, the blow might as well have been that of a hammer, and Kaidan's eyes rolled back in his sockets as blood sprayed over his face.

"Stop him!" The muted cry was followed by James and Garrus appearing, the human gripping Michael's arm as it drew back for a punch...only for the man to throw James' massive bulk aside. Despite his injuries, Michael had the strength of a madman, and Kaidan watched in dazed fascination as Garrus' right arm shot around Michael's and clamped a hand over his neck. A roar...and Michael simply threw the Turian forward and down the stairs, blood welling from the wound in his hip and chest at the effort. He didn't seem to notice, or care, his raging eyes turning back to Kaidan as his fist shot down.

Kaidan gasped, blood bubbling in the back of his throat.

In the back of his mind, a thought ran through him...and he was surprised how calm he was about it.

_He's going to kill me_.

Darkness.

A white light.

A crunch.

A second crunch.

His vision filling with blood and dark spots.

And then, Michael pulled his fist back once more as he leant close, face dripping with sweat, trembling with rage as his eyes glowed with hatred...and the omni-blade shot forth from his closed fist.

"_Michael_!" Liara's cry was so distant, as if Kaidan was underneath water...

Yet the man stopped, blinked...and then glanced over to the weapon jutting out from his fist. A moment later, the blade disappeared, the man staring at the blood-covered fist, eyes widening in sudden horror. Slowly, he turned to stare down at Kaidan...who stared back, unable to speak as the aches of his battered face returned a hundred fold with the end of the battering.

"I..." Michael shot to his feet, away from Kaidan, as if burnt...and then took a step backwards, gaze darting between Kaidan and his bloodied fist. For a brief moment, panic filled the man's eyes...and then it was gone, replaced by hard steel. "..._leave_." He pointed past Kaidan's shoulder, eyes hard, refusing to reveal anything. "If I ever see you again..." Something dark and cruel flickered behind the man's eyes...and then he took a shuddering breath. "..._leave_."

Gasping for air, Kaidan felt Garrus and James' arms under his, helping him to his feet.

For a moment, he just stared at Michael, the man's hard eyes looking right back.

_I don't know you any more_.

Angrily, Kaidan forced himself to shake off the supporting hands as he straightened...and spat bloody phlegm on the ground between them as he glared at his former team-mate.

He considered saying something, something angry, biting...but then realised it would only make the stubborn Michael think himself more right. _Better to let his bitterness fester, as it should_... A final snort..and Kaidan turned and walked away.

He and Michael were done.

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_I nearly killed him_.

_Don't think about it_.

Turning, Michael refused to meet the gaze of his team as he turned his anger to Udina, the politician standing by his dropped weapon, EDI's own pointed at his chest. Stalking forward, Michael grabbed the man by the collar and felt his body scream with agony as he somehow managed to lift the man off the ground. "_You_...you are going to tell me _everything_ you know."

"I...I did what I..." For a moment, Udina wavered under Michael's hard gaze...and then he raised his chin. "No, I won't, and if you think you can intimidate me into telling everything I know you are-" His words were lost in a gasp as Michael's left hand released the man's collar, only to drive itself deep into his gut.

In front of his eyes, he saw his right fist though, stained red by Kaidan's blood.

_I was so close, I __wanted__ to do it_...

_Don't think about it_.

"Commander!" It was Councillor Tevos' voice, indignant. "He's a criminal! But we are _not_! He'll be questioned in a proper and civilised-!"

"_No_." Michael growled, grinning at the way the fleeting moment of relief on Udina's face was draining away. "I have..._friends_ for Udina's questioning in mind, Balak and his Batarians are _very_ good at getting humans to spill their guts..."

Udina went pale as a sheet. "Yo-you wouldn't-"

"I _am_." Michael corrected, letting the man go and watching him slump to his knees, all fight gone out of him. "They'll draw every _scrap_ of information out of you, and they'll be _thorough_, just as you deserve."

_His face, it was almost as when Saren tore it off...but I was the one who_..._who_...

_Don't think about it_!

He turned his eyes to the other Councillors and they recoiled at the hard eyes concealing a mind in turmoil. His voice was steady, commanding. "And you three, I hope this _proves_ what us fighting one another instead of working together will do to us, how _vulnerable_ we truly are." He glared at them...and all three shirked backwards. "I expect your _full_ support from now on, and if I _don't_ get it...well..." He bared his teeth...and Tevos visibly paled as Valern's eyes widened and Sparatus took two more steps backwards. "...I think I don't need to elaborate."

_Mordin and Wrex died with a reason, for a __cause__, what was my goal with Kaidan_?_ What excuse do I have_?

_Stop thinking about it_!

"We-we are in your debt..." Tevos bowed her head. "And we'll...do what we can for you, we promise."

Michael snorted and turned, vision blurry for a moment as dizziness took hold of him. "We'll see if you're worth it, I doubt it. Now, if you excuse me, I have a Citadel in flames to attend to..."

Walking down the stairs, he found the quiet EDI, Javik and Liara following him, their eyes boring into his back. Below, Garrus and James waited, looking unsure as they stepped to the side. Michael slowed down, regret suddenly gripping his heart as he looked to them. "I...sorry for...throwing you two...you did the right thing."

With the regret, and his words, came the pain...and Michael stumbled mid-step.

Instantly, Garrus was there to catch him, throwing Michael's left arm over his shoulders "Don't worry about it, buddy, I got your back..."

_But do I have yours_?

_Don't think about it_!

Mutely, Michael nodded, leaning his weight against Garrus' shoulders as his legs buckled. Shaking his head, he gasped for air, his breathing suddenly painful. "We have to get back to Bailey...clear out the last Cerberus troops..." He coughed, world spinning as the adrenaline and pain-killers began to lose their effect. "...also ensure that no one manages to escape the station, make sure Kai Leng can't escape..." For a moment, darkness took him...only for him to violently shake his head. "We also need to-"

Suddenly, he was sitting down on a bench, Garrus easing himself out of Michael's grip as the Turian shook his head. "_First_, we'll get Chakwas and Michel down here to treat you, before you die a _third_ time." There was supposed to be humour in his voice, yet all that came across was worry.

Michael shook his head, moving to stand up. "No, the battle isn't done, we need to-"

"_You_ need to sit down." Garrus sternly replied...and shoved Michael back down with barely a hint of effort as Michael's body became a leaden lump. "That's an _order_, soldier."

Michael couldn't manage smiling at the idea of receiving an order, instead he simply looked up at Garrus, lights dancing in front of his eyes. "Wha...? No, I'm not done yet, I have to..." He swayed, the world turning into a blur. "...save..." Suddenly, he was falling. "...the galaxy."

Darkness took him.

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for stealing the time to help me._


	33. Chapter 33

"Commander, stop."

"I'm not a Commander, Doctor, and _no_." Michael grunted, trying to speed up his steps so Chakwas would leave him alone. "I have work to do, I don't have time to sleep on the job."

Of course, that didn't work, the injury at his left hip was like a burn, searing pain screaming from the wound with his every step, the pain-killers and bandages only stemming the worst of it. The inside of his right knee was only a little better, the tendons that had been cut were reattached but stiff, their grip on the bones within him tentative at best, making him _feel_ them pull against his bones with every step. So the best Michael could manage was a hobble, rather than the wide steps he wanted, and Chakwas easily kept up as she narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm not asking, I'm _telling_ you, as your Doctor, you _must_ rest."

Michael, normally knowing to abide to the doctor when she was glaring, just glared back at her. "Tell that to the Reapers." The woman rolled her eyes. "You've patched me up enough, I'll be fine."

"The synthetic skin-grafts needs _time_ to melt into your flesh." Chakwas refuted with a nod at his hip. "Every time you take a step, you're making it take longer. And Medi-gel _isn't_ a miracle cure, it needs time to work too, you can't just pour it into the injuries, slap on some bandages and think it'll solve everything. I need to do some proper tests on you, and you _desperately_ need to sleep, according to your bio-readings more stress will likely cause organ-failure." There was an urgent tone in her, almost _begging_...and Michael slowed down, hesitating.

_Sleep_..._and __dream_. He shook his head urgently, a stab of fear in his gut, and pushed himself forward once more. "No...that's...that's not necessary, not _yet_ anyway." He added the last with a brief glance at the Doctor. "I'll get this done first."

"The Council can-"

"Is useless at everything practical." Michael snorted, then regretted himself as making the sound made the wound through his gut burn, the pain jolting up to his lungs, nearly driving all air out of them.

"Michael, you were dying not too long ago, I _will_ have Garrus here drag you off if you don't-"

_Bailey_. "Soon, Chakwas, I promise." Michael raised his hand, silencing the doctor as he spotted the Commander of C-Sec ahead.

The Citadel was still resembling a war-zone, though there was little in the way of fighting going on by the sounds of things. Instead there were distant screams, but mostly a _quiet_, as if the entire population had been shocked into silence.

The Presidium, having suffered the worst of the battle, looked particularly dismal. The white furniture of cafeterias looked out of place next to a smouldering tree and a dead Cerberus soldier, the blue 'sky' above tainted by the black smoke rising from multiple fires, the beautiful gardens marred by the pools of blood on the streets just next to them.

A few people, once ambassadors and officials, the cream of their races' elite, were furtively moving through the area, aimlessly wandering as they stared with wide eyes at all the destruction and the corpses of those that hadn't gotten away in time, the Cerberus soldiers and C-Sec troopers. Most that were outside were C-Sec officers, soldiers standing in every corner, making themselves seen to calm things down even as snipers snuck about at the top floors of the various buildings, searching for suspicious activity.

The third group of people there was a moderate-sized group of white-clothed nurses, medics and doctors, all gathered around Bailey and an entourage of C-Sec officers, as well as Doctor Michel. As he struggled his way up a small flight of stairs leading to the group, Michael heard Bailey speaking. "Right, you've had your assignments, guard the medics and help them find anyone injured or in need of help. Doctor Michel, is there anything else?"

The redhead shook her head, a thin smile on her lips. "No." She looked over to the medical personnel before her. "Good luck, people I..." She glanced back, eyes widening at the sight of the approaching group. "...I'll join you later." She waved the group off, who all stared at Michael before remembering themselves, medics and C-Sec officers alike splitting up to form small groups as they went about searching the area for wounded.

"Actually, doctor, I have another task for you and Chakwas here." Michael replied, breathing heavily as he came to a stop before the Doctor and Commander. Both stared at him with eyes wide in concern, only the later capable of somewhat concealing it behind a professional façade. "You see that corpse there?" He pointed over at the Cerberus soldier lying by the smouldering tree next to an abandoned cafeteria. "I want you two to take samples from him and every Cerberus soldier you find." The redhead frowned in confusion. "No, not an analysis of their implants this time, I want blood-samples, I want to know _where_ The Illusive Man gets all these people from. Cerberus used to be small, he _must_ be recruiting from somewhere."

"There are many wounded that-"

"You doubt the skill of those in Huerta?" Michael stared back at Michel...and found her biting her bottom lip in mute protest. "Didn't think so, this is important, please get to it."

A small mutter, a glance at the silent Turian further at the back...and Michel turned and began walking for the dead Cerberus soldier. "And what of me?" Turning, Michael found Chakwas crossing her arms in front of her chest, eyes grim. "You're not getting rid of me that easily, I'm not about to go take samples when you _clearly_ need my assistance."

"Liara and Garrus are more than capable of taking care of me until we get back to the Normandy." Michael argued, nodding at the frowning Turian and worried-looking Asari trailing them, gazes never leaving Michael. James and Javik were assigned to guard Udina, just in case Cerberus had infiltrators in C-Sec ready to bust him out. EDI on the other hand was busy in the Presidium tower, looking for Cerberus viruses and trying to compile a list of what data Cerberus hackers had stolen away with. Though Michael had tried to send away the Turian and Asari as well – he didn't like to feel so weak in front of them – he was secretly glad they were there, he hadn't forgotten Kai Leng's words about him being alone and therefore vulnerable...and the two gave him strength, something he hadn't truly understood until now.

He caught himself smiling at them.

Chakwas wasn't impressed though, the old woman shaking her head. "Just because they know CPR, doesn't mean they can handle an emergency like_ multiple organ failures_." She glared at him. "I admit, it's not a high risk, but it's _there_."

"Chak..." Michael hesitated, then forced himself to hold the Doctor's gaze. "_Karin_, this is _important_, if we can find out where The Illusive Man gets these troops from we can stop him from doing a similar attack elsewhere..." _And kill him if we're lucky_... Michael didn't voice the angry thought, sure that the doctor would react in the wrong way to it, rather, he focused on what _she_ thought important. "...and in so doing save a _lot_ of lives...isn't that a risk worth taking?"

This time, the Doctor hesitated, then sighed and shook her head. "You are one...manipulative man." Michael felt a sting of guilt at that._ I'm not like The Illusive Man, I'm not manipulating her for the wrong reasons_..._am_ _I_...? "As you wish, but I will see you in the med bay the _moment_ you're done, you understand that?" Michael nodded, relieved with the thought of not having the Doctor hovering over him, reminding him of his injuries. The Doctor turned to Garrus and Liara, frowning at them. "The _moment_ he gets worse, you call me and bring him to the Normandy, is that clear?"

As the two aliens voiced their ascents Chakwas reluctantly turned to walk over to Michel, leaving Michael to finally focus on the man he'd been looking for. "Bailey, how's the situation?"

The Commander shrugged. "Better than you look, that's for sure. You sure you want to-"

"Bailey." Michael interrupted with a weary sigh, holding back the grimace of the pain in his gut at the movement. He shot the other man a stern look, something the Commander clearly hadn't expected from the mess before him. "Give me the facts."

"I'm still getting those as we speak." Bailey tapped his ear with a finger. "C-Sec has regained control of most areas by now, heavy weapon teams have destroyed all those...what did you call them...Atlases?" The man shrugged. "Mostly we're now putting out fires, _literal_ ones as well as trying to calm down the militia and find the double-agents that got them fighting in the first place. It's a headache, but a manageable one. That mech of yours is a good help in checking the Council Tower's logs, and with the opening of the arms we've got the support of the fleet back, so mostly there's good news. As to Udina-"

Michael frowned, a growl escaping him. "He's _going_ to Balak, there's no chance of Cerberus agents among the Batarians and I won't let him get away with a simple questioning."

"I think you underestimate what my boys can do when I order it." Bailey grimly replied, only to shrug. "Though I wasn't going to argue, I'll gladly wash my hands of that filth and let the Batarians have their fun, saves me a headache. I was only going to say that I have some of my best men to assist your people in holding him, if Cerberus wants to spring him, they'll have their work cut out from them."

Michael held back a grimace, forcing himself to calm down._ Man, you have no reason to be aggressive with Bailey, so stow the attitude, soldier_. His voice still seemed angry in his ears though. "Speaking of which...what of Cerberus? Have their survivors been rounded up? What of Kai Leng?"

"Ah." Bailey made a face, making Michael frown. "Got less good news on that front. No sign of that Kai Leng character." _Not surprising, but I'll get him, and then I'll rip his spine out through his chest_... Noticing the look on Michael's face, Bailey took a step backwards, looking uncertain. "As to the rest of the pack...a few tried to escape via shuttle, but were quickly shot down by the fleet. I'm guessing most hid away in the wards though, there's literally billions of places to hide there, so I would bet they'll keep low and slink off later...sadly there's little I can do about that." Michael shrugged and forced himself to relax. _Fair enough_..._damn, my chest hurts_. "We took a _few_ prisoners, but it seems they had some kind of ocular implants...all were found dead moments after they'd been captured." A grimace. "Not a pretty sight, The Illusive Man is up to something creepy, what's with all those implants?"

"You don't want to know." Michael replied with shake of his head, and Bailey nodded, understanding that that was probably true. "And the Council, are they secure?" Again, Bailey nodded, though with a frown. "Good, and what of the security holes that enabled Cerberus to get in in the first place? They must be looked into." Michael frowned at Bailey's chest, trying to think despite the throbbing in the back of his head. "And what of the Citadel's defences and morale? If the Reapers attack, the militia needs to be willing to fight and the security systems working properly, if Cerberus has been doing things to both, they all need to be-"

"Shepard." Michael blinked, finding Bailey's hand on his shoulder as he looked up at the man...and found the Commander wearing an irritated frown. "I know my job, I don't need you instructing me in it."

For a moment, anger shot through Michael, making him clench his fists...and then he sensed Garrus and Liara take a step closer, making the anger pour out as swiftly as it had built up. "I...sorry, yes, of course you do." Michael felt himself deflate, shoulders dropping as a weird tension released, nearly making him yawn as a moment of dizziness almost overwhelmed him. G_od, I'm dead on my feet_..._but duty first, victory first_... "I should check on E...my mech, see what she has for me."

"_Or_...and this is just a _suggestion_..." Bailey lowered the arm he'd kept on Michael's shoulder, irritated frown replaced by a friendly smile. "...you could get some _rest_. You've done enough for one day, Shepard, you can go through all the data and such later."

Michael's exhausted mind thought about sleep...and he jerked straight, shaking his head as a desperate burst of energy shot through him. _No_. "That's not necessary, I should get a few more things done." The Commander before him arched an eyebrow, making Michael force a smile. "No time like the present, right? Besides, I could use a walk."

"I'd say you need everything _but_ that." Bailey replied with a frown, then sighed. "But I'm not your mother, and have duties to attend to...so excuse me." He stepped aside, hand moving up to his ear as he began walking away. "Yes, Bailey here. A turret? No, don't try to rush it, I'll have some engineers..."

As the man's voice faded as he walked away, Michael found himself turning, eyes moving to catch sight of the Council tower, the impressive building still enveloped by a haze of smoke escaping various windows, its beautiful façade ruined. _That's a bit of a walk_... Michael grimaced as he glanced down at his broken body...then sighed. ..._but it has to be done_. With a grunt of pain, he forced his body to start moving once more.

Behind him, Liara and Garrus followed, silent as ghosts.

_God, I don't deserve either of you_...

Gasping as his left foot hit a rock, Michael gritted his teeth and continued before either of the two decided that enough was enough...he wasn't in a position to stop them after all. _Need to keep moving, get everything I can out of this battle; win_. Before his mind's vision, he saw Kai Leng's sword rise above his neck...and shuddered. _So close to end it all, to let the Reapers_..._no, they will be defeated_. Growling low, Michael forced himself to walk faster. _I'll __make__ us win_.

"You know..." Garrus muttered, making Michael momentarily close his eyes with a grimace. _Dammit_. "...Bailey has a point. EDI has probably not even finished with compiling all the data, and even if she has, she'll have it saved for you for tomorrow too. Heck, we could just call her up right now and _ask_..."

Michael swayed for a moment, eyes fluttering open as he nearly fell right where he stood, then he violently shook his head, making the pain in the back of his skull flare up into a raging fire. "Nah, we shouldn't bother her if she's still compiling, she might be done when we arrive though..."

"Errr...Michael...she _can_ do two things at once." Garrus sighed, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

_Sod it_.

Simply grunting, Michael continued in silence, too tired to bother to reply.

And with the silence, the thoughts came.

_Kai Leng nearly killed me_.

_I nearly killed Kaidan_...

_Thane is_...

Grief gripped his heart...and Michael nearly stumbled, but forced himself to stare straight ahead, to continue. _I meant it, Harbinger, I'll never stop_. Pain shot through his spine...and Michael shook it off. _Never_.

Then Garrus spoke up again, voice softer. "Kaidan's at the hospital by the way, his injuries aren't too bad..." The Turian hesitated. "...you think we should go see him?"

Michael came to a stop...and then lurched forward as he shook his head, panic gripping him for but a moment. _To see that face, ruined, to see what I did, to us as well as to his face_... "No. No that won't be necessary...I...it's pretty clear that we're done with one another."

"Yeah, I suppose." Garrus sighed, despite never having liked Kaidan, he clearly didn't like the way they had parted. _Who would_? _Certainly not me_..._the monster who almost killed him for no logical reason what so ever_... "You know, he told me he still intends to search for the Catalyst, on his own."

Michael smiled, though it was a bitter smile. _Thinking you can do things better, Kaidan_? _Perhaps you can_..._perhaps not, we'll see_. "Good." Behind him, the two following him waited for him to say something more, but nothing came. _What is there to say_?_ It's good, that's all I can say_.

"They've found Thane's body by the way..." Garrus hesitated. "...in case you wanted to know."

Michael grimaced at the question hanging in the air._ Is this what we've been reduced to_? _You can't even be sure I care about the man who I sent to his death_? _The worst part is that you have every right to wonder_. "Yeah..." Michael's voice was a croak, making him clear his throat, feeling the raw skin within struggle against the dryness. "Yeah, I want to know..."

"Kai Leng...did things to it."

_Rage_.

Michael spun around, eyes glittering with anger as his hands closed into fists...and Garrus' sad eyes met his gaze, making him falter and lower his head. "I...see."_ He's trying to get to me again_..._that_..._bastard_... Michael grit his teeth. _I can't let that happen again, I have to be calm, logical about it, that's the way to defeating that monster_. Forcing himself to relax, his chest burning with agony, Michael raised his head. "We won't have time to attend the funeral, sadly, but we'll remember him."

"Yeah, I suppose..." Garrus nodded even as Liara, so far quiet as a mouse, grimaced in disagreement.

She didn't say anything though, and Michael, thankful for that small mercy, turned to walk onwards, the pain in his chest suddenly intensifying. "I...could you go and tend to the details of his funeral, please? Before we leave, I'd like to have things resolved here..." Michael held back his gasp of pain as he turned back, having barely taken a few steps since he had started his walk. He forced a smile as he looked to Garrus, the Turian's eyes narrowed in concern. "Don't worry about me, I have my Asari to watch over me." He shot Liara a small smile that probably looked awful on his face.

Garrus stood still for a moment, then looked over to Liara, the Asari's gaze inscrutable...and then back to Michael. "Sure...I'll get to that now..." He turned and began to walk away, glancing back...and found Michael smiling at him. A shake of his head, and the Turian continued onwards.

The moment he was out of sight, Michael slid down, his back coming to rest against a wall as his vision swam, hands coming up to clutch at his chest. _God_... Gasping for air, and all too thankful that none but Liara was there to see him in his weakened state, Michael felt his vision swim. _Damn my pride, no one must see how_..._vulnerable_ _I_..._I_... "Liara..."

"I'm here." The voice was near, making Michael blink as he realised the woman was kneeling right next to him, breath brushing against his face as she frowned in worry. "Are...are you okay?"

"No." The answer came unbidden...but it was the truth. Shaking his head, Michael squeezed his eyes shut, vainly trying to shut out the pain as a cough shot through his ruined body. "Is...is anyone able to see us?"

The blurry blue head before him turned left and right momentarily. "We're alone, people are still hiding." A pause. "I'm sure they'll worship the ground under your feet after this though." The attempt of humour largely fell flat, but Michael smiled none the less.

Though it was a bitter smile. "Yeah, _again_...hope it's useful this time." He sighed, letting his head lean back against the cool wall...and instantly the darkness behind his eyelids began to spin as sleep took him...

_No_!

Gasping, Michael forced his eyes open, shuddering as he tried to control his rebelling body. Before him, Liara was leaning near, concern written across her face. "Is there anything I can do...?"

"Can you turn back time?" Michael chuckled, pain shooting through his body at the simple action, yet found himself unable to stop. "The Rachni Queen dead, Mordin, Wrex...made an enemy of The Illusive Man, got Thane killed...I..." The chuckle turned into a sob...and Michael pulled away from Liara as much he could, horrified with his sudden weakness.

A cool hand, unstoppable, swept over his cheek. "Saved Grunt and his company, doing your utmost to gather as many allies as possible, opposing a man willing to gamble with our future, saved thousands of innocents on the Citadel..." Her hand found his jaw, tilting his head up, forcing him to look at her tearful smile. "You've done _so_ much...and you're not alone."

"I...I _feel_ like it..." Michael shivered, a dark whisper in the back of his mind making his eyes widen in fear. "I...I'm _not_ me...I..." He swallowed, staring at Liara in horror as images of a bloody fist flashed before his vision. "I almost killed Kaidan. _Me_! I...I _don't_ kill my own...I don't..._yet_...God..." Shuddering, he wrapped his arms around his knees as he pulled them up close. "I _don't_..." He shook back and forth, unable to stop himself. "I shouldn't...I don't..." _Faster_, harder...and the pain blossoming through his body became his world.

_I can't_..._I_ _can't_..._I_ _can't_ _win_...

Horror gripped him at the thought, a thought shooting through him, more tangible than the pain of his broken body

_I'm lost_...

Then, cool hands on the sides of his face, steadying him, making his body suddenly go limp.

He looked up...and darkness met him.

"_Embrace eternity_."

Michael gasped.

It was but a flicker, a singular movement, a cool cloak, falling upon raging fire...and ending it.

It lasted for but a moment...and then he was looking back at Liara as the world returned to focus, his panic momentarily quelled, his pain dulled to a throbbing in his leaden limbs. He stared at her, then managed a soft smile. "I...thank you." He forced his right hand to move, to find hers and give it a gentle squeeze as he gazed into her eyes, finding them filling his vision. _God, you're beautiful_...

"You're welcome..." Liara leant closer, breath brushing against him...

And Michael, paralysed, confused, tired...found himself letting her lips touch his.

Soft, gentle, probing and unsure, they slid against his, the breath escaping hers short and frightened.

Michael's mind went blank.

Then his left hand, heavy and clumsy, moved up to find the back of Liara's neck, pulling her closer, drawing a whimper from her.

A whimper silenced when he slowly opened his mouth, lips gently moving against hers, tongue carefully moving out to taste her. She welcomed him...and Michael found his world melting away as the pain and fear turned into a distant dot, far away, unimportant.

It felt all too good, a moment away from life.

Liara's lips felt so different, so soft and gentle, careful, not at all hungry and demanding like Tali's...

_Tali_!

Gasping, eyes widening in shock, Michael's hands shot up, grabbing Liara's shoulders and pushing her away from him.

"I'm sorry!" Liara spoke before he could. She looked out of breath, shocked, regretful, _frightened_. "I...I only wanted to distract you from the pain, to calm you do-down and...and..." She blushed, looking away as her chest shook with panicked breaths.

Michael forced himself to smile, heart aching for her, in more ways than one. "Yeah..."

"Of course, I di-didn't _mean_ anything by it!" Liara continued, the pitch of her voice a little too high. "It was ju-just a way to make you think about so-something else, to...calm down and...re-relax..." She shot him a furtive glance, looking very much like a frightened deer...and Michael's chest tightened in sympathy for the pain and fear he saw.

"I understood that." Michael found himself speaking the words, not knowing what else to say. "Thank you, it helped."

"Y-yes well...go-good..." Liara bit her bottom lip, her panicking breaths slowing down ever so slightly. "...I'm gl-glad it worked...I...yes..." She visibly swallowed as she rose to her feet and took a quick step backwards, as if burnt. "I...I should...go...now that you feel better...yes..." A small sniffle escaped her as she turned around and began to walk.

And Michael grimaced, forced himself to speak up. "Liara..."

"Y-yes?" Turning to look at him again, the Asari quickly brushed off some tears with her hand, giving him an uncertain look.

_I hate this_... "I'm...I'm going to need help to get back to the Normandy..."

"Ah." For a moment, Liara looked horrified, and Michael knew why. Every instinct in her told her to run, her every desire was to go and cry...and now she would have to walk beside him instead, to support him when she at the moment could barely endure being near him. "I...I..." A deep breath...and the woman straightened, forcing a fake smile. "...of course, Michael..."

With that, the woman slowly walked forward and offered her help, slowly pulling Michael to his feet. Showing as much mercy as he could, Michael turned his head away from her silent tears as he leant against her shoulder. "Thanks..."

As they begun to walk, Liara's tears continued to fall.

And Michael could do nothing but look away, her pain as real as his own.

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being the very model of a quick reader._


	34. Chapter 34

"Setting course for the Far Rim, Sir."

The words coming through the radio were surprisingly correct and curt, given their origin, and if he had had more strength, Michael would have frowned. Instead he nodded weakly, then remembered that he had to speak up. "Thanks, Joker." _Wonder what's with him_? _Is it_..._is it because of Kaidan_? Michael had only recently entered the Normandy, but he had already noticed the furtive glances of the crew, not so much due to his injuries as it was with...something else.

It worried him.

On the other hand, he was bubbling – even with all his injuries – with excitement. He hadn't even _entered_ the Normandy when the call had come from Hackett, the call telling him that the Quarians had set up a meeting with him to talk about aiding them in their war against the Reapers. _The largest fleet in the galaxy coming to help_..._finally_, _some good news_! _And_..._Tali_ _too_. The warm feeling in Michael's chest was spoiled by hesitation and worry, his lips still feeling the pressure from Liara's...he sighed. _Things are going to get even __more__ complicated now_..._great_.

The possibilities and dangers of all that had so recently happened, the confusion...it all made him dizzy, making him shudder.

"Please, Michael, stay still."

Looking down, Michael found Chakwas sitting on a stool in front of him. With him sitting on the bed at the far end of the Sick Bay, her face was in level with his stomach, her right hand was constantly dipping into a bottle in her left, then moving to dab his body with a greenish potion that sported a powerful smell of lime.

There was a lot of places in need of it.

Michael had been shocked at the sight when Liara had led him into the Sick Bay – only for her to flee the moment he was sitting down – and he'd been forced to strip off his armour and the under-suit beneath it. Now in nothing but his boxers, Michael found himself staring at a body covered in dark bruises and cuts, most of which he didn't even remember receiving, with them adding to his larger injuries, his whole body seemed to throb with a life of its own. The potion was helping though, dulling the throbbing and turning it into an uncomfortable ache...an ache mixed with the dizziness of him nearly falling asleep where he was sitting.

Chakwas had given him a pill so he could stay awake during the rest of her examination, but Michael suspected there was something else in it too, for he was getting more and more tired by the moment, as if his body was being _forced_ to slowly shut down. He wanted to glare at Chakwas for that, but knew there was no point, in fact, he probably needed it. _Maybe_..._I won't dream then_?

The hope was vain, but he held onto it with the desperation of a drowning man.

So there he was, confused, worried, horrified with himself, excited, in pain, dizzy and exhausted...Michael didn't know what was worst, but together, it all served to make his mind spin ever faster, unable to stop.

_I need the Quarians, but why did they take so long to contact me_?_ Is it Tali's doing_? _I miss her so much_..._but_ _God, how will I be able to look her in the eyes after what I did with Liara_? _What_..._do I feel for Liara_? _And Tali_? _This isn't fair to either of them, I will die and_..._I'm not a man either should be near_..._God_..._did I really nearly kill Kaidan_? I_t already feels like ages ago_. _I_..._I'm killing so many __of my own_..._is The Illusive Man right_? _Am I now a tool of the Reapers_? _Can I trust myself_? _Can anyone_? _Am I the villain, and The Illusive Man the hero_? _He attacked the Citadel because of me, my existence made it happen_..._everything I touch leaves destruction and death in its wake_..._I should just go, far away so no one else can get hurt_._ But I can't, because the Reapers_..._they're_..._are they forcing me to stay, to hurt my own with my hatred of them driving me_..._or is it just my own doing_? _Would it be nobler to abandon it all, let Kaidan and Garrus take up the fight_?

He closed his eyes, squeezing them shut.

_I_..._can't do that_..._but dammit, __why__ can't I_!? _Is it my own doing or someone else's_!?

A grunt interrupted his frightening thoughts, making Michael look up to the other end of the Med Bay.

The only other one in the crew that had been injured, unless one counted Kaidan, was Garrus, the Turian sitting on a bed with Michel on a stool in front of him. The sight nearly drew a smile to Michael's face. mostly because while Doctor Michel was frowning like doctors during examination were wont to do, she was also blushing ever so slightly and glancing up from her examination of Garrus' foot to where his legs met, apparently the spot apparently a bit too close to her face for her not to risk an odd glance._ It's true what they say, women love a man – human or not – in uniform_.

"Well.." Finally, Michel let go of Garrus' foot and nodded to herself. "...that's definitely a sprained ankle, take off the armour so I can take a look at it."

Silence.

Michael glanced over at Chakwas, finding the old woman shaking her head and rolling her eyes. He himself was just glad for a distraction, and eagerly looked back for Garrus' reaction.

And the Turian didn't disappoint, his brow-plate shooting high as he let the moment linger, making Michel's slight blush bloom and turn two shades darker. Finally, he drawled. "Wouldn't it be enough if I just took off the boot...?"

"Oh!" Michel's eyes widened, her blush turning nearly crimson. "Oh I didn't...think of that." Awkwardly, she bit her lower lip and looked away. "Yes, of course, that's much smarter."

With that, Garrus leant down to remove his boot, Michel looking on with a ridiculous amount of interest...and Michael's amusement faded as his own troubles returned with double force, nearly making him gasp for air as panic for a moment gripped him. _I need a rest_.

_You can rest when you're dead_.

_Fair enough_.

_You can't deal with the Tali and Liara issue_. Michael's mind reeled back at the mere thought of it. _Nor with the Quarians until you're on the spot_._ Which means you should focus on more immediate concerns_. "Chakwas...erm..." Michael hesitated, watching the doctor look up at him with a frown on her face. "...how's the crew?"

Chakwas blinked, clearly confused. "They were all aboard the Normandy, and besides you, the ground team has only received a few cuts and bruises...there's nothing of worth to report."

"No, I mean..." Michael leant closer, lowering his voice, words terse with worry. "...how _are_ they, you know, after Kaidan and things...?"

"There's only rumours of what's happened down there so far, Sir..." Chakwas replied, giving Michael a serious look. "...though I'm guessing they're correct?" Michael averted his gaze. "That's what I thought." A sigh. "I used to treat him for his implant problems, you know, he's a good man, and deserved better than that..."

"I'm aware." Michael managed to grunt, regret squeezing at his heart. It was true, Kaidan had been a constant thorn in his side, an annoyance who didn't back down and questioned Michael's every move and motive...yet it had been with good intentions, with the goal of saving the galaxy...and Michael had done him wrong. _Nothing to do_..._let it go_.

Silence.

_I can't_. "I just..." Michael looked away. There was no explanation he could give that would satisfy the doctor, not when he couldn't even explain it to _himself_. "...how's the crew taking it, morale-wise?"

Chakwas arched an eyebrow, clearly not liking the question. "I'm not a Commander, it's not my job to track the crew's emotional state, _nor_ to speak of what they say while under my care, I have my oath."

_For crying out_... Michael felt his hands, holding the edge of the bed, tighten their grip...and then held back a moan as pain shot up from deep in his gut. _Right, no getting angry_..._damn, I'm in bad shape_. He switched tactics. "Karin..." Sighing, the doctor looked up from her job, and grimaced at the sight of Michael's pleading eyes. "..._please_."

A sigh...and Chakwas rolled her eyes. "_Generally_ speaking..." It was a poor way of skirting the confidentiality, the crew wasn't that large, after all. "...they _worship_ you." _Whew_. "You're the hero from the Citadel, who took on the Collectors, who somehow allied the Krogan to the Turians, got the Salarians into our alliance and who is the one who actually seems to pose a _threat_ to the Reapers...a hero." Michael grimaced._ I'm anything but a hero_. Noticing Chakwas' look, his grimace was followed by a frown. _And I'm sensing a 'but' here_... "But after what happened to Kaidan...well, you can understand them asking questions."

Michael winced. "Which means?"

"They worship you...but they're also scared of you, Sir."

Michael sighed, darkness flickering before his vision before with a shake of his head he regained control of his faltering body. "That'll have to do...I'll try to regain their trust." His words sounded hollow even to himself, and Chakwas frown told him she didn't much care for it either. "Sorry."

Chakwas blinked. "For what, Sir?"

"I..." Michael frowned. "...nothing, nothing."

"If you say so..."

He shook his head, eyelids dropping, only for him to grunt and force them back up. "I need to check on Joker and make sure-"

"He's _going_ in the right direction, Sir." Chakwas replied as she stood up, a casually placed hand on Michael's chest somehow enough to keep him seated, her scowl transfixing him. "And you'll now be taken to your room and _will_ sleep, that's _not_ a request, that's an _order_."

Michael lurched to his feet...only for Chakwas to catch him as he nearly fell. "Wha...? No, I need to-"

"_Garrus_." Chakwas snapped...and the Turian, boot strapped to his foot, stepped up, arm coming around Michael's waist and transferring his weight over from the doctor to the Turian. "Make _sure_ he gets to bed, strap him in if need be."

"You got it, doctor." Garrus grunted, shooting Michael an amused glance. "Okay, buddy, let's go." He glanced down. "Err...Michel...a robe or something for the Commander?"

"Sure!" The redhead eagerly agreed, coming forth with a thin hospital gown and moving to hand it to Garrus.

Who stared at her for a moment, then shook his head. "For _Shepard_."

"Oh...right." The woman blushed and moved closer, hands moving to slowly pull the cloth over Michael as Garrus helped out as much as he could. "There, much better."

"Yes, now I won't make people faint at the sight of me..." Michael muttered, then yawned, his vision slowly shrinking, a dark web closing around the corners of his eyes. "...a very useful item...order more of them..."

"Errr...yes, Sir." Michel muttered, looking uncertain before she stepped out of Michael's vision.

Then he was moving forward, which was odd, since he'd lost all feeling in his legs. _Odd_... "Garrus...you're still there?"

"I'm basically carrying you, buddy." The words, through a haze, reached Michael's ears. "Relax, we're almost there."

"Good..." Michael muttered, the tunnel of light before him turning into a dot. "...I'm sleepy..." _But I don't want to sleep_...

"And you'll get it in a moment." A pause. "So...you okay?"

"I've...been better." Michael chuckled, the pain of the action shooting through him like a bolt of white light.

There was a smile in Garrus' voice. "Well, this will do you good, that stuff Chakwas used is the best, you'll be up and going before we reach the Far Rim." Again, the man paused...and Michael wished he could see more than a white dot, curious about the expression on the Turian's face. "Bet you're looking forward to seeing Tali again though, huh?"

"Yeah..." Michael gasped, feeling the ground lurch under him. _The elevator_? "...yeah..." _Liara_..._God, I'm so sorry_. He knew it now, she loved him, for how long was impossible to tell...but she would continue to do so, no matter what...and that hurt, not only out of sympathy, but out of his own love for _her_...and how it now all of a sudden was clashing with his love for _Tali_. _Poor __Liara_..._poor_ _Tali_..._how did I get myself into this_...? "Yeah..."

"Okay...guess that means yes." Garrus muttered, voice coloured by concern. "Ah, here we are."

Movement...and then Michael felt something soft against his face. "I'm...in bed?"

"Yeah, buddy." Garrus' mutter came from somewhere behind Michael as the softness underneath him moved, before something warm fell over his back. "You're in bed." A hand on his shoulder...and Michael hissed in pain as he was rolled over onto his back. "Sorry..." The warm thing atop Michael was pulled further up...and then came to a stop under his chin. "There, all tucked in and ready to sleep."

"I...don't want to..." Michael barely managed to speak, his whole body becoming light as a feather, spinning in the wind.

A chuckle. "Oh stop being such a baby, it'll be good for you."

Michael tried to shake his head, but it wouldn't move, the muscles drained of all energy. "I...don't...think..."

Darkness took him.

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A whisper.

Close, at the edge of his consciousness.

_No_.

Insistent, pushing closer, unstoppable.

_No, please no_...

Darkness surrounded him, pushing against him, boring into his flesh.

Yet he wasn't alone.

"_Are you even a Commander_?" Kaidan's words reached him, an angry, accusing whisper.

He looked down...and recoiled at the sight of his bloodied hands, staring at his fingers, now long and sharp claws.

_No_...

"_You'll always be the Commander, Shepard_." Thane's words were directed at him, yet the whisper seemed to come to his defence...and Michael felt guilt squeeze his heart.

_I'm only trying to do the right thing_...

His own voice, a distant ghost of his time hunting Saren, of when speaking to Ashley, echoed through his mind. "_He_..._he makes the tough calls, the right calls, every single time. He doesn't let remorse or weakness slow him down, he does what needs to be done, no matter the cost._"

And Kaidan's angry growl whispered back. "_How far are you willing to go_? _What's the point of fighting for humanity if we lose our humanity in the process_...?"

"_This man has saved billions of lives Ashley, __billions__...most who don't even know of it. He's ruthless, I admit, getting many innocent killed, but always to save more then he takes away...it...is humbling. He makes the calls we others are too weak to make_."

"_Ah yes, sacrificing others for your victory, I can see why The Illusive Man likes you_." Kaidan replied, his words uttered close to Michael's ear, yet the voice far away, lost in the darkness around him.

_I'm nothing like him_!_ I'm his enemy! An enemy of the Reapers_!_Nothing__ else_!

Thane's words, soft, and at the time they were spoken, ignored. "_Commander, it's not my place to tell you how to do things, but being one who once lost himself in his profession, I'd urge you not do so yourself...it's not a good place to be in_."

Regret.

It made Michael's heart quaver, and as he gasped, curling up in a ball, he found the blood on his hands sink into his skin, turning it into a mottled grey, diseased and dead.

A disease spreading upwards.

_God, no_!

Screaming, Michael tried to scrabble backwards, but the darkness offered no purchase, and he couldn't escape his own limbs.

He could only stare at the grey sickness crawling up his limbs, withering his flesh.

_I'm_..._no_!

"_If anyone here is suffering from their influence, it's __you_." The Illusive Man's words, so calmly spoken, made Michael shake, mouth open in horror as he watched his flesh transform.

_No_..._no_!

Crying out, Michael turned his right hand towards his left arm, claws for fingers digging deep into the flesh, trying to stop the transformation as blood poured from the wound.

It didn't help, the flesh knitting together the moment his claws pulled free.

"_Reaper technology is surprisingly good at self-replication and repair_." The Illusive Man continued, unheeding of Michael's struggles. "_Not even our best scientists could claim that you'd stay unaffected indefinitely_."

_NO_! Gasping in anguish, Michael went limp, unable to fight any more, tired, oh so _tired_...

Ashley's voice, so cheerful and friendly...now just a ghostly whisper. "_Don't tell me you're worried about turning into him by making the right calls_?_ I mean you actually __care__ about those under your charge_."

_It's never enough_...

Before him, Thane's gutted body, incorporeal yet far too real, floated by...yet his lips moved, whispering a memory. "_It was to be expected, there is no need for concern. My son visits often and I feel I've done my share to make the galaxy brighter_."

_Thank you_.

"_What regrets have I but for deeds that cannot be undone_?"

Michael contorted in agony at the words, feeling as if a vice had closed around his throat as he looked down, finding his clawed hands close around the throat of Kaidan, the man's ghostly visage calmly looking back. His lips was speaking, yet it was Ashley's words that reached Michael's ears. "_But how many innocents must die by the hands of one without remorse before the saving turns into uncaring murder_?"

Screaming, Michael tried to pull his hands off the man before him, yet they refused to let go, knife-like fingers pushing in, blood welling up as the man looked back, eyes narrowed in a silent accusation.

Then, the claws pushed through.

Blood exploded from the wound, spraying over Michael's struggling body, scalding him...and sinking into his flesh.

Feeling his flesh wither, Michael squeezed his eyes shut and cried out in horror.

"Ah!"

Sitting up straight, Michael found himself back in his bed, the dull lights of the room making the room a dark grey, as if all colour had been drained out of the room.

A deep breath...and the panic abated. Grunting, Michael pushed the sheets clinging to his sweaty body aside, shivering in the room as he forced himself off the bed and to stand on the floor, his feet numb.

Drowsily, he moved forward, mind foggy and exhausted as he forced himself to move to the bathroom.

The light within was sharp and bright compared to the previous room, turning everything nearly painfully white, making him groan as he moved to the sink, hands cupping under the tap as he filled them with cold water. Leaning forward, Michael splashed the cool liquid over his face, shivering at the feel of it even as some of the smoke in his mind lifted.

He raised his head, looking into the mirror...and glowing blue eyes looked back.

"AH!" Jumping back, Michael slipped on the floor, his hands shooting back in time to catch himself against the wall as he stared in horror at the glowing orbs staring back at him, dead and alien. "No...no...this isn't happening..." His voice was a mere whisper, nothing else capable of escaping his mouth as his lungs refused to draw breath.

He shook his head...and the skin around his eyes began to peel away, like dried flakes of paint, they fell, revealing withered and grey flesh beneath...

And Michael screamed.

"Ah!"

He sat up, staring wildly around himself...and then gasped as he clutched at his chest and hip, the bandages across the wound on his hips stained red. Staring wildly around himself, he found the dull lights of the chamber put the room in a dark grey, seemingly draining all colours out of it...and he paled in horror.

Flying to his feet, Michael hissed in pain as the injuries across his body protested. Ignoring the pain, he hobbled forward, nearly tripping on the small set of stairs leading up to his office before he brushed past it and nearly crashed into the bathroom.

Gasping for air, his mind racing and heart beating painfully in his chest, Michael slowed down as he hesitantly moved closer to the sink, eyes on the mirror that at that angle couldn't show his features. _I_..._no_..._it can't have been real_..._it__can't_...

Swallowing, he stepped in front of the mirror.

And found his pale blue eyes looking back at him.

Clutching at his chest with his right hand, the relief so palpable that it was painful, Michael nearly collapsed before his left hand shot out to steady himself against the sink.

_I'm normal, I'm not_..._that_..._I_..._thank__God_..._I_...

Suddenly, he was on the floor, back against the wall, head leaning back against it as he squeezed his eyes shut. The relief in his chest was now sheer agony, turning into grief and horror as regrets and fears filled his broken body.

_Thane_.

_Kaidan_.

_Ashley_.

His body was shaking, though Michael was barely aware of it as he pulled his knees to his chest, arms closing around them as he stared blindly ahead. Pain was blossoming from his injuries, from his heart...and the tears streaming down his cheeks seemed to burn a path through his worn face.

_Kasumi_.

_Zaeed_.

_Jack_.

Rocking back and forth, Michael squeezed his eyes shut and opened his mouth in a silent scream, the air in his lungs escaping in short gasps that raked his entire body with pain.

_Mordin_.

_Wrex_.

A loud sob escaped him...and Michael fell to the side, still clutching his legs as he felt his body shiver in shock.

_Nihlus_.

_Saren_.

_None can escape, we're all doomed, they'll kill us, or make us kill each other_..._all I've done_..._it's nothing, pointless_.

Dark stars danced in front of him, making his mind spin as the world turned into a blur.

He felt as if he was falling...

_I've failed_.

"**Shepard**."

_Go away, Harbinger_.

"**Shepard!**"

_Please, I can't take it any more_...

"Shepard!"

Blinking, Michael tried to focus, his exhausted mind making his vision swim...yet the unmistakable glow of EDI's hologram at the far end of the bathroom drew his gaze. "Wh-what?" Michael managed to croak out, realising it had been the AI that had spoken.

"Are you okay? Do you need medical attention? I can have Chakwas here within half a minute." EDI replied, and despite being an AI, there was clear concern in her voice.

_Concern_. Michael tasted the word...and slowly sat back up, though kept his hands around his knees. "I...no, please, EDI...I'll...it's a human thing." He swallowed, his mind still foggy with shock weakness making him tremble as his mind refused to calm down, panic just a moment away. "I...need to be alone for a while..."

"Very well..." The AI hesitated. "...can I stay, at least?"

Michael swallowed, his voice a small whimper. "_Okay_..."

Silence descended upon them, only broken by the odd sob as the trembling Michael felt the panic try to force its way back, only to be pushed back in the last instance.

Time slowed to a crawl.

The coolness of the room descended on his sweating body, making him shiver.

And next to him, the comforting sight of EDI's hologram glowed, a guardian over him as he let himself sob his grief and pain away.

Slowly, he released his legs.

He didn't dare to look at the hologram as he opened his mouth. "EDI?"

"Yes, Shepard?"

"Thanks."

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being the Effect to my Mass._


	35. Chapter 35

"Man, this is _exciting_!"

Behind him, no one reacted.

But Joker couldn't help but grin, he had been in a good mood for a few days now – the reason for _that_ a poorly guarded secret on the ship – and though the news of Kaidan's fate had muddled his happiness, the goal ahead had him amused to no end. "Damn, it's all cloak and daggers, deep into the Far Rim for a clandestine meeting." He chuckled. "You think we should transmit some kind of password too? Like...the swallow has come for the coconut?" He smirked. "No? Just me?"

"This is technically Geth territory, it's no surprise the Quarians are being careful." Michael replied, voice stoic, making Joker throw him a worried glance.

EDI had, not surprising since she seemed incapable of keeping a secret, told Joker of Michael's little episode in his cabin. But thankfully, the man had since then slept during practically the entire journey – even with the help of Mass Relays it had taken days – as exhaustion and Chakwas' drugs had finally gotten the better of him.

He definitely looked better than when he'd been brought on board. The rest had not only drained away most of the exhaustion, but the time in bed under constant medi-gel treatment had healed up the majority of his injuries. Though Joker guessed they were probably still painful, if his knowledge of modern medicine was up to snuff.

Still, there was something drawn about Michael, a tautness in his skin, the pale eyes seemingly having sunk deeper into his skull as he stared out across the wind-shield of the Normandy.

_Not surprising, I'd be a mess too if I had to deal with all the crap he does_. Joker looked back to his controls with a grimace. _Still_..._beating Kaidan up_? _That's just messed up_...

Joker felt more sympathy for Michael than Kaidan, who he hadn't much cared for, but he still felt...wary...and didn't much like the way he tensed where he sat, just because his Commander was standing behind him. _Damn, usually we'd be joking around right about now_..._where did those times go_?

Michael's presence seemed to forbid joking though, his retort to Joker's attempt draining what humour was left out of the room. Next to him, an equally serious-looking Garrus stood. As with Michael, he was in full armour, helmet in his hands and staring out into the darkness of space, as if able to see the Quarian vessel with his bare eyes. Liara was there too, though in a simple scientist's garb, much to Joker's surprise. Her gaze was on the floor, eyes distant.

_We're such a cheerful bunch_... Sighing, Joker sent EDI in the co-pilot seat a glance, finding her offering a pale smile in return. _Yeah, guess you sense it too, amazing how human you are_..._it's always a surprise_. Joker struggled to hold back a smirk, making EDI teasingly arch an eyebrow in amusement.

Michael interrupted the moment though, his curt voice cutting through it like a knife. "Deactivate the stealth system and begin broadcasting the friendly hail."

"Sure thing." Joker shrugged, hands flying over the controls to obey the command. "Don't see the point though, this entire system's dead, not a thing on-whoa!" He flinched back as the Normandy systems called out a warning, the signal of another ship appearing on their radar as if out of thin air. "Where the hell did that...did it just come out of stealth!?"

"Tracking...confirming a frigate-sized vessel of unknown make." EDI replied, frowning at her own controls. "I am detecting large heat emissions from the ship, it's venting an energy build-up. I'm hypothesising the ship is using a less efficient version of the Normandy stealth drive, most likely due to a lack of advanced hardware."

Glancing back, Joker saw Garrus cock his head to the side and throw Michael a look. "That sounds like something our Tali would make...bet she's copied the Normandy's design straight out of memory."

"Agreed. " A flicker of a smile crossed Michael's features...and Joker was surprised at the relief he felt at that. _Thank God, he can still smile_. "Though let's not take any chances. EDI, analysis."

"The ship is constructed from several pieces, salvage as well as pieces resembling older models of ships. One side is built from what appears to be a much larger vessel, a few marks on it suggesting that vessel has been destroyed in combat." EDI reported, and though it was hard to tell with her even tone, she almost sounded _impressed_.

"That sure sounds like the Quarians." Joker agreed, then glanced down at his instruments as one of them whined for attention. "Right, I'm getting a friendly ping, invitation to dock...well, Michael, seems they want you to come over for a chat."

"Tell them we agree, two to board." Michael turned even as Joker moved to obey, the Spectre's words hesitant. "Are you sure you don't want to come along?"

"No." Liara muttered, making Joker throw back a confused glance as he saw the Asari look down at the floor and shake her head. "No, that's okay." She raised her head, offering Michael a pale smile. "You go."

_Huh_?

Michael's smile as he looked at Liara, now turning her head aside, was pale and fake, confusing Joker. "Okay, as you wish." Then, he turned his head back to the work at hand, making Joker hurriedly get back to his duties. "Prepare to board, run the decontamination twice before letting us aboard the Quarian ship and then wait for us to get back."

"That's what I do most of my time, you know." Joker shot back a grin. "On a related issue, I'm getting really good at solitaire." Again, a flicker of a smile crossed Michael's face, nothing compared to the grin he'd once shown, but it was _something_. "Heh, so what do you think the chances are that they'll just say 'Yeah, we've heard the Reapers are here, and we're glad to help'? I mean that has happened _so_ often for us..." Joker meant it as a joke, but quickly regretted himself as Michael's smile disappeared, his pale blue eyes flashing with a hint of anxiety. "I'm sure it'll be easy though..." Even to Joker, the words lacked conviction and came across as just what they were, an attempt to repair the damage.

"We'll see." Now all business, Michael grabbed his helmet and put it on with a hiss of it sealing shut to the armour, hiding his taut features behind the re-breather of his helmet. Speaking through it, the Spectre's voice was a synthetic growl. "Either way, I _will_ have my fleet." The words left no room for arguing, and Joker could practically _feel_ the words being set in stone. "Garrus, helmet on. EDI, prepare the decontamination. We'll enter the moment the ships are docked."

Looking into the reflection cast into the wind-shield, Joker watched the two men turn the corner, decisively marching for the air-lock. As the door sealed behind them, Joker caught sight of Liara standing by it, staring at the door with a sad look on her face...then shaking her head and turning away, her words nearly too soft to hear as she walked away. "I'm such a fool..."

"What was that all about?" Joker muttered, shaking his head as he casually, by now he could have done it in his sleep, moved the Normandy to dock with the Quarian ship.

"I do not know." EDI replied, the machine suddenly rising to her feet, making Joker throw her a smirk. The AI could obviously not accompany Michael to the _Quarian_ ship...and Joker was _very_ glad of that. His chest tighten when the door to the cockpit slid shut, the machine languidly stepping over to him. "However, I'm glad for it."

"And why would that be?" Joker grinned, looking up as EDI put an arm on the backrest to his seat and leant over him.

And the AI returned the grin in kind. "Because it means that we're now alone."

Joker moved to reply with a joke, but was pleasantly stopped by EDI's lips moving closer.

A moment later he had forgotten all about his joke, his duties, the Reapers and the _galaxy_.

There was only _her_.

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"Well this ought to be interesting." Garrus muttered.

Michael didn't reply at first, his gaze glued to the door ahead. He felt tense...like a taut spring, ready to shoot forth. He felt better since the coup attempt at the Citadel, at least _physically_, his wounds had largely healed, but he still felt off...as if his mind had been drawn out, pulled in several directions until it was a thin and frail thing. Still, it wasn't shattered, and that was good enough for him.

He felt a little ashamed for having stayed in bed their entire journey to the Far Rim. Chakwas had argued that it was for the best, but for him it had felt like a dereliction of duty, not that Chakwas had left room for arguing with the pills she'd forced on him. Michael didn't remember much of those days, they were only a dark blur, for which he was thankful. _At least I managed to get Garrus to sneak me in some reports to read through_... With that thought, Michael managed to tear his gaze from the door and throw his Turian friend a glance. "You'd call it interesting if we'd been pitted against a Thresher Maw with nothing but a spear."

Garrus chuckled, tilting his head to the side. "Well...I wouldn't be lying, that's for sure." He turned his head, looking over at Michael, sounding amused. "And I don't think Tali would appreciate being compared to a Thresher Maw."

Michael arched an eyebrow when the ground under their feet shook ever so slightly as the Normandy docked with the other ship. "She might not be on the ship, you know."

Garrus snorted and turned his attention back to the door. "Yeah right, as if you believe that." Michael bit his lower lip at the reply, taking a nervous breath as he felt his chest tighten with excitement_. God, it feels like ages_... A chuckle interrupted his thoughts. "Just keep your trousers on until we're done with the meeting, we don't want to scar the Admirals for life."

Michael managed a small chuckle at that, though it was tinged with uncertainty. He felt...hungry, he _wanted_ Tali, _badly_...it was like a thirst within him. His desire was mixed with a love that had grown for years now, through thick and thin, it had been forged into a bond of steel...and now Liara had somehow come into the picture, revealing a bond Michael had barely been _aware_ of...and the desire to explore that bond filled him with guilt and want in equal measure. _Dammit, I'm messed up_... "Garrus, you wound me, at least my unit isn't scaly...think of how that would scare the poor Quarians."

"Because a pink worm is so much better?" Garrus eagerly quipped back, drawing a weary chuckle out of Michael. "Though I _suppose_ that smaller things are less intimidating..."

For what felt like ages since, a small laugh escaped Michael.

Then the door opened, and his laugh died in an instant.

"Shepard, good to see you." The Quarian stepping forward and offering his hand had a voice like gravel, making the friendly words seem polite rather than friendly.

Michael knew the words were sincere though and took the hand, shaking it a bit harder then was proper, his tone somewhat aloof. "Kal'Reegar, long time, no see."_ Dammit, he's with Tali, __again_!? Michael held back a frown, it wasn't fair of him to think that way, Kal'Reegar might be very much like himself, and a Quarian to boot, but Tali had never expressed any interest in the man, and as such Michael's guarded stance towards the Quarian marine was undeserved. _Besides, not like I have a right to judge_. He grimaced at the thought, but forced himself to focus on the task at hand, the war with the Reapers took precedence over his personal problems. "You're guarding the Admirals?"

It was a stupid question, but the marine nodded gravely at it. "Indeed, Shepard, me and my squad here." He shot a thumb back at the four Quarians standing a few feet behind him, and Michael let his gaze travel over them with professional curiosity.

There were four of them, three men and a woman. Surprisingly, the woman was the largest of the four, her wide shoulders looking tense as she eyed the two newcomers and their weapons, her own hands holding onto a worn Scimitar shotgun. The man next to her was casually leaning against a bulkhead though, Mattock rifle hanging from one hand, something the next man didn't seem to approve off as he held his own Vindicator rifle close to his chest while shooting his comrade the odd glance and shake of his head. The smallest of them was sitting on a crate though, the Geth plasma shotgun in his lap scratched along the side he was polishing as he watched the human and Turian in front of him with avid interest. A quick glance at Kal'Reegar showed that their leader wore a Carnifex pistol at the hip as well as a scratched Geth pulse rifle on his back, making Michael frown in worry. Like Michael usually did, he also carried a bandoleer across his chest, though Michael didn't recognise the type of grenades attached to it.

_Okay, the Carnifex, Vindicator and Scimitar are weapons from the terminus, which is no surprise, where else would the Quarians buy them_? _The Mattock probably came cheap from some colonist wanting a few extra credits_..._but the Geth weapons they must have taken from a battlefield...I hope it's not a recent one though_. Still, Michael found the sight of the marines comforting. They looked every bit like a capable squad, welded together in combat much like Michael's own, and that such troops were available in an otherwise largely civilian fleet would surely be helpful to bolster their courage when it came to facing the Reapers.

"Well?" The Quarian woman suddenly spoke up with a sigh. Like all Quarians, her voice warbled slightly, but it also had a nasal quality to it . "Do we pass the test?"

_Oh right, they're good at reading body-language, better remember that if it comes to some kind of negotiation_. Michael, more amused than annoyed by the woman's irritated tone, nodded. "Indeed you did, feel honoured."

The quip, though not particularly funny, made the Quarian sitting on the crate chuckle, much to the woman's chagrin as she shot him a glance that no doubt held a glare. Kal'Reegar ignored them though, gesturing Michael to follow as he turned to walk into the Quarian Frigate. "If you'll follow me, Shepard." He glanced back at the others. "The rest of you, go run a few laps back in engineering" A few groans greeted the order. "_Now_."

Glancing over to the other Quarians leaving, Michael then turned back to Kal'Reegar, arching an eyebrow in question.

"Sorry, Shepard, they're a bit bored, they're some of the best in the Flotilla and want to get back into the action." Kal'Reegar shrugged, then turned and began to walk, making Michael and Garrus move to follow, curiously looking around themselves as they walked.

The ship looked strange for a Quarian vessel. Though there were a few crates of supplies in the hallway, as Quarian vessels were constantly pressed for space, they were far fewer than they had been on the last Quarian ship Michael had been on. There was also far less wear, most of the pieces looking almost new, if a bit mismatched in shades and designs, like several different puzzles that had been welded together. Clearly, it was no salvaged or bought ship, but one the Quarians had built themselves, using pieces from dozens of origins.

Garrus was the first to speak, his words slow and thoughtful as he pondered the marine's curious choice of words. "And what action is it that they might want to get back into...?"

Michael, tensing as he'd been unwilling to ask that question, in fear of the answer, intently stared at Kal'Reegar's back. The Quarian slowed for but a moment, threw a glance backwards...and then shrugged as he continued on. "Sorry, sir, it's not really my place to comment on it, I'm just here to take you to the Admirals."

Michael's gaze darted to the weapon strapped to Kal'Reegar's back and sighed._ Crap_. He raised his hand to his visor, _infinitely_ annoyed with the helmet stopping him from rubbing his temples, and shook his head. "It's the Geth, isn't it?"

"As I said, it's not my place to comment on. I'm just here to take you to the admirals and possibly assist you later on." Kal'Reegar replied, not looking back.

"That's a yes...and you're saying the Admirals already have some sort of operation in mind for us, one requiring two teams." Garrus drawled, exchanging a worried glance with Michael.

"I'm afraid I've been ordered not to comment on my current...or future deployment, sir." Kal'Reegar smoothly replied...and Garrus chuckled as he shot Michael a knowing look.

"You're saying an awful lot for not having any comments..." Michael muttered, then shook his head. "Damn, more politics...and the _Geth_? Who was the moron that decided to attack them, in the middle of a Reaper invasion, no less?"

"We've only _recently_ learnt about the Reapers arriving, actually." Kal'Reegar replied, stopping before a sealed door, omni-tool glowing as he held it in front of the controls as he lowered his voice. "It's funny how some things go ignored until they slap you in the face, right?"

Michael exchanged a glance with Garrus, the latter's brow-plate raised high. _So the Reapers have something to do with the Geth then_? _Interesting_... He turned his attention back to the marine. "Thanks for the heads-up, Kal'Reegar."

The door opened and the Quarian stepped to the side to let the two other men enter, his voice carefully neutral. "Thanks for what, sir?"

Stepping into the room ahead, Michael heard Garrus chuckle at the Quarian's 'innocence' before the door slid shut behind the two, leaving them without their escort as their eyes swept over the surroundings.

It was a war-room, surprisingly similar to that on the Normandy. It was more spacious though, clearly the main reason for the existence of the ship. The main holographic war-map in the centre of the room was surrounded by several smaller ones, and further out , facing the walls, dozens of computers had been placed, their screens showing a constant stream of data coming in from what had to be the rest of the flotilla. _Impressive_...

Michael's gaze swiftly moved to the three Quarians by the main holographic projector though, his heart sinking with disappointment even as he stalked towards them. "Gerrel, Xen, Shala'Raan...good to see you." _At least I remembered their names and recognised them_..._those suits aren't exactly helpful with that_.

Shaking the hands of the Admirals in turn, Michael looked around the room, annoyed with how hopeful he felt of having missed anyone else in the room, someone in _particular_. Gerrel ignored his moving gaze though, the Admiral nodding. "Shepard, I'm glad you're here, we need to talk."

_Right, business_. Chiding himself, Michael turned his attention to the Admirals, narrowing his eyes. "So I understand, you need help? Perhaps with the...oh I don't know...Geth?"

The Admirals exchanged glances before Shala'Raan, wringing her hands very much like Tali usually did, tilted her head ever so slightly. "We are here to negotiate the Quarian support of your war against the Reapers, Shepard."

"_Our_ war." Michael snapped back, his old frustration quickly rearing its ugly head. _Always people thinking they can get something out of me, despite the fact that it's about their very survival_... "The Reapers are here to wipe out _every_ advanced species in the galaxy, I _do_ believe that includes the Quarians. I don't see why we have anything to _negotiate_."

The Admirals hesitated, clearly not having expected such an aggressive tone. _Hmm, clearly they didn't learn their lesson back at Tali's trial_... Xen was the first to gather her wits, the Quarian resting her hands on the edge of the map as the silvery orbs behind her mask narrowed. "A powerful argument, _if_ we accept it as fact." Michael glared back. _Oh for_..._not_ _this_ _again_. "Besides, our intelligence tells us you've negotiated for the support of several species already, why would we be any different?"

_Because it would make a great change of pace from the previous bouts of idiocy_... Michael gnashed his teeth for a moment, then took a deep breath, he was still tired and had no energy for the anger he was usually capable of. "Because we're running out of time, if you try to stall for some kind of advantage, you _will_ find yourselves facing the Reapers on your own." The three Admirals exchanged glances, and though Michael was no Quarian, he could read their body-language well enough. "You don't believe me? The Batarians are now an _endangered_ species." There was a small gasp from Shala'Raan at the words, the two other Admirals taking a step back in surprised. Michael just glared at them, more than willing to place his cards on the table. "_Palaven_ is burning, _Earth_ is being _harvested_, the Hanar are nearly extinct, the Elcor are now living on a fleet much like your own, only it consists of barely a _dozen_ ships." Mercilessly, Michael pressed on, sensing the way the Quarians before him hesitated at the scale of slaughter his words couldn't even _hope_ to convey. "The Alliance fleet has been _halved_ in just a few _weeks_, the Turians have lost _ten_ Dreadnoughts, _Thessia_ is threatened, entire _systems_ have gone dark, the populations of entire _planets_ have been slaughtered." He looked at the Admirals in turn, hands coming down to rest on the holographic map as he glared at them. "Every _minute_, _millions_ die."

As silence descended upon them, Michael let his gaze sweep over the Admirals.

Shala'Raan was still wringing her hands, though slightly swifter now, looking uncertain and nervous as she glanced at the others.

Xen was crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back on one heel, looking decisively unimpressed.

Gerrel was stroking the the side of his visor in thought though, head tilted down in concern, but then shook his head. "It's all academic, I'm afraid. The Quarians are in no position to help at the moment."

_Figures_. Michael pushed himself off the map with a sigh. "And why is that?"

Koris' voice cut into the room like a knife. "Because our people are currently trapped in the Tikkun system, ready to join our ancestors buried on Rannoch."

Turning his head, Michael found the Admiral approach from a door in the distance, silver eyes beneath his visor narrowed, and next to him...

_Tali_.

Michael's heart stopped beating, his mind thrown in a spin as his knees buckled.

He was overcome. Dizzy; feeling love, want, need, guilt, but most importantly...a great _relief_, as if a weight had fallen off his shoulders.

She approached, slowly, as if in a dream...and Michael found his hands come back down to the holographic map, gripping it tightly to keep himself from falling to the floor.

He hadn't seen her for months.

It felt like years.

Finally, she came to a stop at the other side of the map, eyes fixed on him.

"_Commander Shepard_..." Her voice was small, _shy_...and sent a shiver down Michael's spine as he drank in the sight of her. _God, I've missed you_. "So...I'm an admiral now...wh-who could have figured, right?" The question was so innocently asked...so nervous...and Michael struggled not to laugh in relief and happiness at the sound of it.

Silence.

Michael realised he should be answering, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, his shoulders shaking in effort to keep his body up as he stared at her, the relief coursing through him almost a physical thing, a cool river rushing through his aching veins, soothing them. He felt his eyes tear, his lips trembling...and he struggled to contain the sob wanting to escape his lips._ I've missed you __so__ much_...

Then Xen sighed. "Okay, Tali, no one's fooled by your attempt to be proper, and Shepard..." Another sigh, the Quarian shaking her head at him. "...just hug her, and get it out of your system so we can-" Michael didn't catch whatever more she was saying as his legs suddenly became animated, straightening him and carrying him around the map with a singular purpose.

Then Tali was in his arms, the woman gasping as Michael held her tightly, suddenly afraid she would disappear into thin air the moment he got to hold her.

But she didn't.

She remained pressed against him, tangible, _real_, her gasping breaths in his ear, her arms around him, head resting in the crook of his neck as much as her visor and his armour allowed.

Then Michael held onto her even tighter, all of a sudden realising he was shaking, his breathing quick and shallow as he squeezed his eyes shut, warm tears streaming down his face.

The only thing he finally managed to croak out were a few whispered words. "Missed you...you've no idea..."

_Not even __I__ did_...

A small chuckle escaped the Quarian, but it was gentle, just as her arms were as they carefully rocked him from side to side while holding him. "You're so embarrassing sometimes..."

"Don't care." Michael managed, then squeezed his mouth shut to keep a sob from escaping him as he tried to press closer, frustrated with the armour and suit between them keeping them apart as he felt – or maybe just imagined – the tiniest bit of her body-warmth. The warmth was like a balm to him, sending a tingle of relief through bones suddenly aching with weariness. _God, you don't know how tired you are, until you truly come to a stop_... Yet for all that, he felt new energy course through him, an old flame kindling somewhere deep within his chest without him even having been aware that it had died.

He could have stayed like that for the rest of his life.

Unfortunately, reality forced its way into his world far too soon for his liking as Gerrel cleared his throat.

_No_.

Michael dug his fingers into Tali's suit, nuzzling into her as best his helmet allowed as he swallowed, blinking furiously to bring his treacherous tear ducts under control while drawing several deep breaths to calm his racing heart.

_I just want to stay like this_...

But it was impossible.

Louder than Gerrel's, the clearing of his throat tinged by amusement, Garrus got the two to separate. "There we go...Tali, now that you have a moment to breathe, hello."

Chuckling as she took two reluctant steps away from Michael, hand lingering on his arm until she could no longer reach, Tali sniffled before shaking her head in amusement. "Yeah...good to see you too, Garrus."

"Now, back to business." With an _immense_ effort of will, Michael turned his gaze away from Tali and over to the speaker, frowning at the sight of Admiral Xen. _She looks_..._smug_. A glance at her side, and he noticed Shala'Raan looking hesitant, almost guilty, and Gerrel looked eager to proceed. _They're not thinking that_..._my relationship with Tali will make me easier to control and negotiate with_? Michael nearly growled in annoyance, his wonderful mood soured even as he worried that that just might be the case. _No, Reapers first, everything else second, I won't bend on this, not for anything_... He shot Tali a suddenly uncertain glance. ..._or anyone_? "As you understood from Koris' dramatic entrance, you have no doubt gathered that we are near our homeworld, but in a..._predicament_."

"_Predicament_!?" Koris' voice rose, high in pitch as the man took a step closer to the other Admiral, fists clenched to his sides. "Our people's _existence_ balancing on a knife's edge is _not_ a mere _predicament_!"

Gerrel raised a hand, the old Admiral's experience quieting the other man, reminding Michael that Tali had told him how while there were no ranks among Admirals, seniority still had a certain weight during their discussions. "Be that as it may, we're trapped near Rannoch, in war with the Geth, and cannot lend assistance to the Reapers until we've dealt with them."

"You mean, until you've been freed to pursue other operations." Michael corrected with an annoyed sigh. _Dammit_..._with Legion and the rewritten Heretics...I had hoped for the Geth to aid us_!_ Not become an enemy_! _Though of course, truces can be made, and the Geth need only to ally with __me_. He frowned, considering the situation even as he spoke to win time. "Perhaps you should start from the beginning, tell me what's happened."

_There's five Admirals_. _Tali would never vote for a war with the Geth, not after Legion and the knowledge of the Reapers, it was even part of our plan for her to stop this while preparing the Quarians for war against the real threat_. It was a shame she had failed, but Michael didn't blame her. He knew better than most how difficult it was getting your will through the minds of bone-headed politicians. In fact, she had done exceedingly well with what little time she'd had to work with. _Neither would Koris, he's a bit overly zealous on the whole Geth-peace thing, but that's probably a good thing right now_.

"Two months ago, the Quarian fleet went to war." Gerrel began, the admiral's voice tinged with pride. "Simultaneously hitting four systems, using a hacking technology developed by Admiral Xen using the passed Rael'Zorah's research..." Tali's head instantly dipped, her gaze fixed on the floor while Xen offered Gerrel a curt nod at the mention of his name. "...we destroyed a large part of the Geth fleet in the initial engagements and began driving them from system to system. Once we reached the home system, we had destroyed an estimate of two thirds of the Geth fleet."_ Two __thirds_... Again, Michael's hands went down to grip the edge of the holograpic projector, but this time it wasn't to keep himself upright, but to hold his temper in check._ I had __plans__ for the Geth, we could have __used__ those ships_...

Biting his lower lip, he regained control of himself though and forced himself to think things through. _Xen_..._she always did strike me as arrogant, she probably thinks this is nothing more than bringing erroneous machinery back into order_. _Gerrel is a warrior, and his avowed enemy is the Geth_..._that makes it two votes against two_. He looked over to the nervous-looking Shala'Raan, eyebrows arching in surprise even as his mouth formed a thin line of anger. _I thought Shala'Raan was Tali's aunt, that she saw her view of things_..._yet her vote was the deciding one, the one deciding in the wrong way_..._why_?_ Better get Tali to tell me later, there might be a way to sway her_, _which might reinforce my plans for a great alliance against the Reapers_...

As his calculations continued, Gerrel went on. "However, our successes stopped there as the Geth suddenly became immune to Xen's weapon. This immunisation coincided with a signal being broadcast within the Geth fleet. It turned a genuine retreat into a trap...I have frankly never seen such fine manoeuvring..." There was a grudging respect in the Admiral's words, even though he growled the words in anger. "...we've lost quite a few ships since then, and ever since we've been playing a dangerous game of manoeuvres with the Geth fleet. Our fleet is too big and too threatened by Geth pursuers to escape via the Mass Relay, yet too elusive to be caught by the Geth...so far."_ I can imagine, in fact, I'm surprised every Admiral is out here, rather than some staying back to direct the fleet_... Michael made a mental note to ask Tali about that as well.

"Even without considering the importance the Geth might play in defeating the Reapers..." Michael finally managed to sigh, shaking his head. "...it was foolish to risk it all while relying on a single super weapon to win you the war..."

"Errr..." Garrus coughed, amused as well as a bit awkward.. "...Michael, you know..."

Michael felt his cheeks flush as his own words sunk in, but then shook his head and shot his friend an annoyed look. "That's different, we have no options there, the Quarians _did_."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night..." Garrus drawled, looking away with a roll of his eyes.

_Who says I sleep_? Michael shot the Turian a final glare before turning his attention back to the Admirals, just in time to watch Xen inch closer as she shot Gerrel a sideways look. "I think Gerrel missed a crucial detail while explaining the situation. The signal emitted through the Geth fleet _isn't_ of Geth origin. According to our _lovely_ Tali..." Michael shot her a glare, not about to be distracted by the mentioning of his love when Xen clearly wanted to get something out of him."...from her studies of Collector technology as well as a certain Mordin Solus' description of Reaper control of the Collector drones...the signal is of definite _Reaper_ origin." Michael, despite his best efforts, straightened where he stood...and Xen's smirk was audible as she continued. "I _figured_ that would get your attention."

"It seems..." Gerrel continued, shaking his head. "...that we have a mutual enemy, Shepard. The Reapers are essentially controlling the Geth, that makes the Geth _your_ enemy, and the Reapers _ours_. Help us defeat the Geth, and we'll help you defeat the Reapers."

"But what drove them to ally with the Reapers in the first place!?" Koris growled, clearly annoyed with not getting a word in.

Gerrel shook his head at the man, snorting. "That's a question for the academics! It won't help us now!"

Grunting, Michael stopped Koris' protest by raising his hand, sighing as he lowered his head. _It's not that black and white, there's never only two ways things can go_..._and I want __both__ the Geth and Quarians helping me_! A small voice in the back of his mind told him it was wishful thinking, but Michael grumpily pushed it aside. _But we can't find more options unless we look_. "Tell me, _where_ does this signal originate from."

"I _figured_ you'd ask that." Gerrel spoke, hand moving over the holographic map...and the greenish image of a Geth ship, the model compared to a Turian Dreadnought at its side, appeared above it. "It's coming from the Geth flagship."

Garrus gave a soft whistle at the size of the Geth Dreadnought, the vessel nearly one and a half times the size of the Turian Dreadnought. Michael on the other hand, said nothing, his gaze fixed on the massive ship, an unfamiliar feeling in his gut, a feeling of..._greed_._ I want that ship, I'll get it, and I'll cram it down Harbinger's throat_..._oh_ _yes_... "Impressive."

"Indeed." Xen grunted and shrugged. "And its weapons are equally impressive, however, it's still a _Geth_ vessel..." She glanced over at Gerrel.

Who quickly picked up the thread. "Which means their sensors can't pick up the Normandy when your stealth drive is active. This ship has a copy of that drive, but it's less efficient and nearly got blasted apart when we tried to dock." He cocked his head on the side. "_You_, however, could enter and _disable_ the signal...meanwhile, Kal'Reegar and his marines will enter and disable its drive core, rendering the largest threat to our fleet feeble while the rest of the Geth fleet mingle in confusion. Then-"

"You _retreat_." Michael snapped, making an offended sound escape Gerrel. Michael shot Tali a brief glance, finding strength in the silvery orbs looking back at him...and then looked back to Gerrel. "You are charged with defending your people, so you _will_ retreat before the Geth come back with a vengeance, then you _will_ assist me in my war against the Reapers while I begin negotiations with the Geth to-"

"You wish to enlist the _Geth_!?" Gerrel exploded, taking a shocked step back.

"You bet your ass I-"

"We have no way of telling for how long that signal will be disabled." Xen interrupted, shaking her head as well. "If the Geth come back under Reaper control later, you will have spared an enemy and made the war _harder_ on yourself."

Michael gritted his teeth...but knew the woman was right. _Fuck it, I've not come this far to back down from a chance to strengthen our chances_. "That's a risk I'm willing to take."

"A risk you expose _us_ to..." Shala'Raan suddenly muttered, but looked away as Michael and Tali glanced over at her.

"It's not a risk if you're not even in the system at that moment, and if the signal gets back faster than you can leave, then it was of no help anyway." Michael countered, feeling his chest tighten with tension as he felt a strange mix of excitement and decisiveness course though him._ I __will__ get my ships_! "So yes, you get the Flotilla out of there, I talk to the Geth about helping with the Reapers, maybe even get your planet back..."_ God knows they're more reasonable than you people_. "And then-"

Growling, Gerrel leant over the map. "Now listen here, you're in _no_ position to tell the Quarian people what they can and can't-"

"I'm in _every_ position to do so." Michael growled back as he too leant over it, glaring into Gerrel's glowing eyes. "You want _my ship_ to ferry your troops into a Geth Dreadnought? You want _me_ to board it? You want me to s_ave your people_? Then you _better_ do as I say or I _swear_ I'll turn away and let you handle your own mess. In that case I wish you luck in saving even _one_ liveship."

Michael felt Tali tense at that, shocked by him uttering such words, he also felt tense as sweat poured down his forehead, unsure if he was bluffing or not. He _needed_ the Quarians _and_ the Geth...but if he was forced to pick _one_...he didn't know what would happen then, and his love for Tali, desire to defeat the Reapers and knowledge of the Geths' capabilities wasn't making it any easier.

Fortunately, he was never put to the test as Gerrel took a step back and turned his head away. "As you wish, we'll retreat and begin negotiations as soon as our people is safe."

"_Finally_, a voice of reason." Koris sighed, moving closer to clap a hand onto Michael's shoulder. "I knew Tali was right in suggesting we talk to you."

"She usually is..." Michael turned, looking over to the Quarian woman, her shock at his words seemingly diminishing as he fixed her with a warm gaze, making her cock her head to the side, a gentle smile hidden behind her mask._ Damn, I want to see it again_... Michael coughed awkwardly at the thought. "Speaking of which...if we're to head to the Tikkun system to do this, perhaps it would be best to transfer Kal'Reegar and his marines to the Normandy now when there's time. Also..." Again, he coughed, annoyed with how his face flushed. "...perhaps Tali'Zorah could also come along to..._advise_." He felt the group around him exchanging knowing glances, but refused to acknowledge them as he meekly added "My team could use a Quarian that's an expert on the Geth when on the Dreadnought, after all..."

"We were about to _suggest_ that, in fact." Xen was the first to speak up after his words had petered out, her tone somewhat amused. "I'm sure you'll find her very valuable and..._accommodating_ as a representative of the Quarian people..."

Everywhere, Michael felt the smirks of the group on him and Tali, and the Quarian clearly felt them as well as she bowed her head with a sigh, hand over her visor to conceal how it darkened with her blush. "Keelah..."

Michael only saw her though, ignoring the others while staring at her, the love, care and tenderness he felt at the sight of her swiftly being pushed aside by _one_ thing...

_Need_.

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for always being hungry for more. _


	36. Chapter 36

"Decontamination in progress."

The synthetic voice wasn't EDI's, but rather that of a sub-routine in the Normandy systems. It sent a shiver of nostalgia down Tali's back, for it was eerily familiar to the voice of the first Normandy's decontamination chamber. _Ancestors, feel like a lifetime since that time_...

She felt oddly nervous, despite having entered the Normandy many times before, and that with Michael as hers...but it had been ages since last time, and as such the feeling almost felt _new_ now. _Keelah, get a grip, woman_. Michael hadn't made things much easier, his desire for her after going through the deal with the Admiralty had been obvious to everyone in the room, even to _Garrus_...and Tali had a feeling her own hadn't been too well hidden to the eyes of the other Quarians either.

She had only gotten a small reprieve from her nervousness so far, and that had been when Michael had allowed Kal'Reegar and his marines – along with all their equipment – to go through the decontamination chamber first. It was actually almost _too_ great an honour for the captain of a ship to let his guests aboard his own ship first, not to mention that a non-Quarian giving them free reign on the ship was something immeasurably rare, enough to make the entire Quarian squad stare at him in surprise when he'd given the offer. Of course, Michael probably didn't know either of those things, for him it had simply been the practical thing to do...and of course he'd been a bit _too_ eager to allow Kal'Reegar to go first, instead of them all squeezing into the chamber together...he'd never openly spoken about his fear of Kal'Reegar being around Tali, but it was obvious to anyone that threw him a second look. Though he of course had nothing to fear, the idea of him jealously guarding her made Tali smirk underneath her visor.

Now, however, the nervousness was back in full strength. She was squeezed in between Garrus to her right and Michael to her left, the later clutching her hand so tightly that it hurt. Somewhat confused, she hadn't been from his side for _that_ long, Tali shot Garrus a questioning look, but the Turian simply offered a weary smile and a shrug. _Huh, guess the war with the Reapers is taking their toll_... Instinctively, she inched closer to Michael, holding his hand tighter as she looked up at him and smiled. Though he couldn't see it, he sensed it, and as he looked back down, a warm smile on his lips, there was a hunger in the gaze holding hers that made Tali's heart flutter._ Keelah, I can't wait_...

She was tired, physically and mentally, from the war with the Geth. She had missed him...and now that she had him again, she wanted nothing but to forget about everything else for a blissful moment.

Of course, there were introductions to make first...and Tali felt a little excited at the prospect of what Michael had managed to tell her on the way, he always gathered unique individuals around himself, but _this_ time, he had beaten all records...

With that in mind, she looked forward as the door slid open to reveal the welcoming committee.

A mixture of annoyance and happiness shot through her as the first thing she saw was Liara standing at the entrance to the Normandy. Tali might have made peace with the Asari since Michael's rebirth, and her suspicions and worries of the Asari and her bond with Michael had proven completely unfounded...but that didn't mean she had to enjoy knowing the woman had been one of the first to join Michael's troupe. _Come on, be an adult, she's a good person and an invaluable member of the team_. Moving forward, Tali extended her right hand even as she found Michael coming along, not letting go of her left. "Hey, Liara! It's good to see you!" _Well good, at least you sounded honest_..._huh_..._maybe_ _I_ _am_?_ I do feel better knowing Michael had had her looking out for him_...

Liara offered a smile and shook the hand, her grip gentle, but though she smiled, there was something _pained_ in her stance as she looked at Tali, confusing the Quarian. _Guess it's no fun dredging up old memories when we have fresh nightmares to deal with_... "Tali, I'm glad to see you." The tone was polite, even friendly, yet Tali got the distinct feeling the woman was actually lying. Though not unfriendly, there was something...taut about her, _tense_. _Wow, the atmosphere of the crew really __has__ changed, guess Reapers do that to people_.

The next one, pressing past Liara with far too little concern for his own health, was the same person Tali had always known though. "_Joker_!"

The pilot's grin nearly went from ear to ear, his bushy beard looking a little longer than Tali remembered it as on fragile legs he hobbled over to her, arms spread wide. "Tali! How's my favourite fish-bowl?!"

Anyone else saying that, and Tali would have punched their teeth out, but Joker meant no insult, and his words triggered a laugh from her as she moved to hug him, though awkwardly since Michael _still_ refused to let go of her hand. Joker held her firmly, chuckling slightly against her as Tali forced herself not to hug him as tightly as she wished. "Joker! Should have known you'd be here!"

"Of course, I'm the only pilot that _dares_ fly this maniac anywhere." Joker chuckled as he extracted himself from her with a nod at Michael right next to her. "Glad you're here though. Adams is good, but considering the crap Michael's throwing us into, he could use some help."

"Hey..." Michael objected somewhat meekly, though he was smiling as he spoke.

"Don't you 'hey' me! I had to play tag with a _Reaper_! Distract it my arse..." Joker muttered the last words in feigned anger, shaking his head while crossing his arms over his chest. A moment later though, he grinned at Tali. "So your people let you off to join us, huh? Though I guess they couldn't stop an...what did Michael say you were when he called in, an Admiral?" He smirked at her, offering a mock salute before continuing. "And it's not like they could stop you and Michael anyway, love conquers all and all that jazz..." He finished the words with a wink, making Tali sigh even as Liara shot the pilot a tired look.

"Huh? Who loves who?" Another man, so wide across the shoulders that Tali was _amazed_ she hadn't spotted him yet, stepped up behind Joker, then gently stepped past the pilot as he looked over at the new arrivals. His hair was cropped short, though it was slightly longer in the middle, giving him a somewhat quirky appearance in Tali's eyes. The rest of him was all bulky, square or covered in muscles. "Ah, this is the Quarian you spoke of, right, Joker? Pleasure to meet you..." The man's gaze moved down, noticing Tali's left hand, held in a vice by Michael. For the briefest of moments he hesitated, taken aback, then he smiled again, still looking a bit surprised, but positively so. "...Tali." He offered his hand.

Tali found her hand enclosed by the giant's, feeling as if he could crush it at will. Still, she smiled, there was something friendly about the soldier before her, something _genuinely_ cheerful...and Tali, having been around so many grim Marines and Admirals of late, welcomed seeing something else. "And you're James Vega, right? Michael mentioned you on the way." She smirked. "Warned me you'd give me a name..."

"A name?" The man blinked, bewildered. "Isn't that Garrus' thing?"

"No-no, I name the _enemies_..." The Turian drawled. "I think she means _nick_-names."

"Ah, yeah, _duh_." The human Marine slapped his forehead and rolled his eyes. "Well sorry, Sparks, I haven't really thought it through."

"Sparks?" Tali arched an eyebrow in amusement, despite people being unable to see it, ever since becoming close with Michael, she had started to use such expressions on a daily basis.

"Errr..." James took a step back even as Joker snickered. "...that just...came out."

_Humans are always so strange_. Tali smiled uncertainly. _Odd_ _name_..._guess it's the eyes, wonder if he knows they don't __actually__ glow_. At the thought, she shot Michael a glance, and found the man staring at her...and felt her heart flutter as she awkwardly replied. "Okay, I guess that's...good." _God, get me up into your cabin, __now_.

Before Michael could obey her mental command though, a strangely accented voice cut in. "Why are you all standing there? Have you all forgotten your duties?"

There were a few sighs around the group, their shifting stances suggesting annoyance as they allowed Michael and Tali to properly enter the ship while turning towards the source of the voice, the splitting group allowing Tali to see the man approaching. _Keelah, Michael warned me about this but_..._Keelah_. "You...you're Prothean."

"So people keep telling me. Apparently I'm not capable of remembering this myself." Javik, as Michael had said his name was, snorted as he marched up to stand in front of her. He was shorter than she'd expected, yet still a full four inches taller than her, his four double-irised eyes looking down at her, his body projecting a certain level of disdain. "And you are that Quarian, the one...bonded to the Commander?" Tali's eyes widened in shock. _Wha_..._why is everyone so keen on pointing that out_!? "Cross-species romance is a pointless exercise, and I do not understand how one can desire a species hiding behind masks like criminals."

Tali blinked...and then narrowed her eyes. _Ah yes, all Quarians are criminals, I've heard that one before_. She scoffed. "You don't understand? I thought Protheans were wise...thank you for rectifying that presumption."

Javik pulled his head back in surprise even as Joker and James chuckled and exchanged a glance. The alien wasn't dissuaded though. "Someone no longer master of her own world, never mind her own immune system, shouldn't lecture about wisdom." He cocked his head as Tali glared at him. "It's a shame you foolishly created those machines and now have to hide behind your masks, your people were beautiful, once."

Tali felt herself squeeze Michael's hand tightly as she grit her teeth. _Oh you arrogant_..._no, no this is not the way_. A deep breath...and she made her voice sickly sweet. "Awww...you thought us beautiful? Oh I see...I'm sorry, it must have been hard for you before, not being charming enough to get your _own_ pointless exercise."

Javik's face remained impassive, but his stance...the Prothean was bristling at the words...and Tali grinned even as Joked laughed. "Ohhhh...she got you there, Prothy!"

Javik frowned in irritation, then moved to reply, but before he could speak, another, _familiar_, voice cut in. "It is good to see you, Tali, your expertise is most needed."

Tali turned her head, looking towards the cockpit...and felt her jaw drop at the sight approaching her. _Oh for_..._hope_ _Kal'Reegar's Marines didn't spot this, he has enough on his plate as it is_... "I...EDI? You look...different?" She eyed the machine approaching, arching an eyebrow at the way Joker shot it an approving glance. He was also throwing James a concerned look though, the group around her – besides EDI herself, of course – tense as they awaited Tali's reaction. She smiled though, cocking her head to the side. "Really, I can understand another platform, but did it have to be so...top-heavy?"

"It was the only platform available." EDI replied with a shrug. "The weight distribution is finely adjusted. As such, if it is those you refer to, the breasts are no hindrance." A small smile. "I like them, they have proven...helpful."

"Uh...hu." Tali shot Joker a glance, bemused by the way the pilot's face shifted in colours even as James chuckled. Then she noticed Garrus and Michael shooting her confused looks, making her smile as she cocked her head at them. "Really? You guys know nothing about AI, do you? Why would I be upset or scared about EDI gaining another platform? One that _doesn't_ have the ability of interstellar travel and to suck all the air out of the ship at a moment's notice? You think I'd find _this_ more threatening?"

"Well..." Garrus coughed, glancing at the air-lock with sudden apprehension. "...when you put it _that_ way..."

Tali sighed and shook her head. "Thank the Ancestors I'm back to make you people understand anything more advanced than unlocking a door..." She shot Michael a smirk, giving his hand still refusing to let hers go a squeeze. "Don't think I've forgotten that lesson..." The man grinned back at her, then glanced to the right, towards the elevator, gently pulling her towards it...

Before he could extract her from the group though, Garrus' hand landed on Tali's shoulder, the Turian sounding a little amused as Michael shot him a glare. "So tell me Tali, about the Geth situation..." His amusement faded as he frowned. "...why did things turn to war? I thought, after Legion and you, that there was a chance for it not coming to blows...hell, why attack them _now_? The flotilla has been on the run for _centuries_ until now."

She sighed, she knew the question would come. "It's...complicated." Next to her, Michael reluctantly stopped pulling at her, the man's eyes boring into her, he too interested. "I tried with Legion, I really did, got a communication link up and everything...results were...mixed." _That's an understatement_. "It wasn't enough."

Frustratingly, Tali had to admit her own people had been the ones who had wasted that opportunity. The fact that the Geth were willing to talk was amazing, but they hadn't wished to leave Rannoch, only to _share_ it. Tali could understand the idea. The Geth wanted to mend the rift between the two people, they wanted to _understand_ organics, and fleeing further out into the edges of the galaxy would not only make them the new exiles in the galaxy with little in the way of resources, but would essentially put them at the mercy of the Quarians, who to be fair, didn't have the best track-record of being merciful to the Geth.

The Admirals wouldn't have it though, even _Koris_ had been hesitant at the idea of sharing Rannoch with the Geth. It was understandably scary, to have to be next to those cold machines, it was all too easy to imagine it to be a trap, for them to be lured right into the Geth's clutches...even Tali had been somewhat scared of the idea. In the end though, Gerrel's and Xen's vehement refusal to even entertain the thought of discussions with the Geth had tipped everything over, ruining the chances of a peaceful solution.

Given those events, Tali was genuinely surprised that Gerrel had agreed to Michael's demands. _Though I suppose things really are desperate enough now_..._how_ _did_ _it_ _come_ _to_ _this_?

"Still, as Garrus said...the Flotilla has been avoiding outright war with the Geth for centuries..." Michael chimed in, though he sounded a bit...impatient. "...what changed?"

Tali sighed, lowering her head._ How do you explain this_...? "Listen, even if we ignore that this is our _home_ we're talking about...the Quarians haven't found a world worth colonising in all this time. _All_ the good worlds have been claimed, those that remain viable to live on are either remote and poor, or sports a bacterial fauna that'll _kill_ us the moment we're exposed to it. If Quarians are ever to regain their immune system, if we're to ever to lose these suits, we _must_ have Rannoch back so we can slowly regain what was lost. Even our old colony-worlds are too much for our systems to settle on." She shot Michael a shy glance. _Well_..._most of us, mine's never been better_... She shook her head, clearing away the dirty thought as best she could. "And the fleet...it's getting old." She shot Michael another look, this one apprehensive, she hadn't forgotten how he had spoken about leaving the Quarians to their fate. _Must have been stress_..._right_? "It's still capable, but each year, we lose more ships as they are finally worn out. We can't keep up with these losses with what we manage to scavenge and repair...in the end, our people will die if they remain on the Flotilla."

Silence.

Then James grunted and shifted, looking a little awkward. "Huh, sounds like a Hail Mary pass...not exactly good to know that you're betting everything on one move."

"I'm aware of that, thank you!" Tali snapped, angrier than she'd expected. _Ancestors, I'm stressed too_... She raised her free hand to placate the surprised Marine. "Sorry...I just...I'm worried, okay?" She shook her head, momentarily closing her eyes. "We've already taken losses, even _if_ we get out of this...the consequences will be heavy..." She glanced over at Michael, hating herself as she added to his burden. "...unless we get back Rannoch."

Michael tensed, but to be fair, he'd been tense ever since she'd laid her eyes on him...it was painful to see. Still, his smile, though weary, was genuine, and there was no mistaking the usual decisiveness in his voice. "You _will_ get out." Then, though, he hesitated. "And I'll..._try_ to get you Rannoch."

Tali stared at him for a moment, surprised to see _Michael_ of all people hesitating, almost _faltering_...and then forced herself to smile as she put her free hand over his. "It's all I can ask for, love." _Keelah, you look so tired_...

Garrus interrupted any further assurances though, as well as Tali's line of thoughts, by muttering. "Okay...but why now? I mean, with you as an Admiral I'd figure that attacking the Geth now that the Reapers are approaching was an impossibility."

Tali sighed at that and looked away from Michael, somewhat surprised to find that Liara had left while Tali had had her back turned. _Without even saying good bye_..._that was a little rude_..._bah, never mind_. "I only have one vote, you know."

"Sure, but you had Koris and Shala'Raan, enough to balance off Xen and Gerrel." Garrus cocked his head to the side, avian features crunching up in a frown. "Right?"

Again, Tali sighed, hand coming up to rub her temple, only to curse herself as she remembered the visor. _Stupid human gestures getting to me_... "Shala'Raan...isn't on my side." She raised her free hand at Garrus, compelling silence. "I know, I know, she's my aunt, takes fleet security seriously, and isn't exactly violent by nature. But she also sees herself working for the greater good...and for her, that definition means doing what the majority of people want." Tali looked away, it was horrible to think of her aunt as the Conclave's puppet, but that was what she was, if a willing one. "They want Rannoch back by whatever cost...and she obeys, trying to do what the majority wants." She shook her head, muttering in frustration. "I'd like to think the Admirals are there to make an _informed_ decision for the _benefit_ of the people...even if they don't agree with it."

"Nothing like having a few family issues, eh?" James replied, giving her a wide grin intended to comfort her, making Tali smile underneath her visor. _You have no idea_... She shot him a second look, noticing the sympathy in his stance. ..._or maybe you do_. Her smile turned a bit more genuine.

"Yeah, unfortunately these family issues has put my entire people at risk." Tali grimaced and looked away, voice barely an audible whisper. "I hope we're not too late..."

"We _won't_ be." Michael snapped, his decisiveness back in full strength, making Tali's quills tingle. _I always did like that_... She shot him a glance, seeing him straighten to his full length. "Joker, EDI, get the ship to the Perseus Veil. Garrus, James, see to Kal'Reegar and his people. Make sure they have everything they need. Lia-" He looked around, only now apparently noticing that the Asari was gone. A pained look passed across his face, stance telling Tali of guilt, confusing her...then he shot her a glance and swiftly shook it off. "_Javik_, go tell the doctors of the new guests, ask them to count the amount of Quarian-specific medical equipment we have stored. They should be prepared, but it can never hurt to check."

There were a string of affirmatives, the Prothean's somewhat annoyed...and then a few chuckles as Michael finally lost his patience and practically dragged Tali after him towards the elevator.

Stumbling, Tali struggled to keep up, the hand gripping hers refusing to let go as she felt her face burn with embarrassment. _Keelah_...

"Hey, Michael, what work are _you_ tending to while we do this!?" An amused Joker shouted over to them, by then Michael had already reached the elevator, stamping his foot impatiently despite the door opening nearly immediately.

"Mind your own business!" Was the retort, making nearly the entire deck on the ship burst into laughter as Tali's face burnt under her visor as she was practically shoved into the closing elevator.

_Oh I could just_... Tali opened her mouth to give Michael a piece of her mind about his behaviour...and then her mind went blank as he pushed her back into the wall and pressed up close to her, hands sweeping down her sides, pulling and tugging at the buckles of her suit as if possessed. Tali, flustered, meekly tried to push him off, to regain control of her spinning mind...and then his hands dipped low.

_Keelah_!

8

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8

Tali whimpered.

It was the first sound she had made in what felt like an eternity.

Michael didn't care.

Just as he hadn't cared about her giggling protests as he had pushed and shoved her into his room, or her teasing remarks of them not even having had dinner yet as he'd violently pulled off what remained off her suit. He hadn't cared about her trying to tease him by stopping just short of the bed and pressing her back into him with a sultry purr.

No, he had simply grabbed her by her red quills, bent her over the bed and taken her right there and then.

He hadn't cared about her surprised yelp, nor of the lusty groan that had followed, or the gasps and screams of pleasure that had followed as Michael had built up a frantic tempo.

All he had cared for was the overpowering _need_, the burning desire to make his pains and fears go away, to feel something, _anything_, else...

And now he was lost in it, in the movement, in the throbbing _need_, in the _hunger_.

He hadn't cared when her screams and gasps had been replaced by moans and groans, or when _they_ had been replaced by whimpers and small hisses.

He hadn't cared when Tali, exhausted, had slumped forward, her legs unable to carry her any longer. He had simply rolled her onto her back, thrown her onto the bed and rushed atop her to resume the coupling.

All he knew was to move, to _keep_ moving...he didn't even feel the pleasure any more, all he knew was that he _needed_ to keep at it.

He blinked furiously, the sweat pouring from him stinging his eyes as he looked down at Tali, staring at her with an insatiable hunger even as his dulled mind tried to make sense of what he saw.

She was, just as him, covered in a thick sheen of sweat by now. Her thin shoulders, neck and small breasts were bruised a deep blue compared to her pale pink skin where Michael had held on too tightly during his frantic attempts to satisfy his need. Her cat-like irises, green and large, were almost hidden as her eyes had rolled back in their sockets, her head was turned to the side, letting her quills spill freely over the bed, her long and forked tongue was lolling out of her small mouth, as if she could no longer control it. She barely seemed to be _breathing_, yet Michael felt her clench around him, shivers running through her body as the exhausted woman lay there, lost in pleasure.

And now her tiny whimper had made him focus his gaze...to partly drag himself back into the real world...and he gasped in surprise at the pleasure hitting him all of a sudden.

Gasping again, body going impossibly taut, Michael's hands found Tali's quills even as he pressed down on her, pressing his face down in the crook of her neck as he cried out, the pleasure so great it was _painful_.

Then, he went still.

Body suddenly heavy and sluggish, he lay atop her, white lights dancing before his vision as their bodies seemingly spun in a vacuum, the rest of the galaxy having faded away.

Against his chest, he felt Tali's breasts press upwards as she took a short little breath, followed by another.

He remained where he lay though, completely spent, his hands still holding on to her quills, as if afraid they'd fall apart the moment he let her go. Behind him, he felt Tali's legs – he hadn't even realised they were there before – slide from his waist and down onto the bed, the Quarian as exhausted as he was.

_God, to stay like this forever, free of thoughts_...

The moment the thought came, Michael grimaced into Tali's neck, the image of Liara coming to his mind's eye uninvited. _Dammit_. Then, he saw Kaidan's ruined face. The dead Wrex and Mordin...and he shuddered against his woman. _Dammit_. Finally, Saren, the Reapers, _Harbinger_...all flickered before his mind. _Dammit_! Biting his lower lip, Michael held on all the tighter to Tali's quills as he tried to press himself even closer to her, as if he could disappear into her.

Below him, Tali shivered, their sweaty bodies suddenly cold in the room.

Yet neither tried to move.

Silence filled the room.

Then, he found Tali's hands moving up, stroking their way up his sides until they settled into a lazy pattern over his back. Her voice was a small whisper, tired, satisfied...yet curious. "So...that was..._different_."

Michael raised his head just enough to offer her a pale smirk, finding her large eyes watching him with a curious look. "I thought you _liked_ it rough."

"To a point." Tali admitted with a little smile of her own. _God, I've missed that smile_. Tired, Michael quickly pecked it. When he pulled back though, Tali's smile had turned into a concerned look. "I...are you okay? You seem...different."

The question hit him like a pile of bricks, the observation feeling like a stab at his chest...and Michael fell back to rest his head in the crook of her neck as he grit his teeth. "I..."

_Lie to her, don't make it worse_.

_I can't, not to her_. "...no, I'm not okay..."

The hands on his back moved, pulling him tightly against him, the woman's voice quivering a little, worried for him. "Talk to me..."

_Don't be a fool_!

_Shut up_. "I...I killed them."

"Wh-what?" Tali hesitated, but her arms never left him, comforting, _believing_ in him...and that _hurt_.

"Wrex...Mordin...they...they were in the way..." Michael swallowed, not daring to look at her, hiding himself in the crook of her neck as he shuddered. "...I needed the Salarians, I need all I can against the Reapers...so I killed them." Beneath him, Tali froze. "Thane...I got him killed too, I had no right to ask more of him, yet I did...and now he's dead."

"It...it's okay...shhhh..." Tali hushed him, hands once more drawing lines over his back as her head moved so she could kiss him on the neck. "I'm here..."

"Kaidan...I nearly killed him..." Michael felt frozen to the bone all of a sudden, the pleasure he so recently felt gone, _lost_. "..._why_ would I do that? I had no reason! I was just so...so _angry_ and I..."

"Michael..."

He ignored her attempts at comfort, his mouth moving with a will of its own. "I...I killed the Rachni Queen...all to end the _risk_ of an enemy...I killed an _ally_." He shuddered in revulsion at his own words. "B-but the Geth...I _know_ how capable they are, I _must_ take the risk...and...and..."

Beneath him, Tali had gone silent.

_Don't say it_! _She's a Quarian before anything else_! _She's here to make you aid __them_! _And she __will__ pick them over anything every time_! _Don't tell her anything_!

_I_..._can't be that manipulative, not to her_. "I...the Geth are _vital_ to defeating the Reapers...and...and I'm _afraid_..." He squeezed his eyes shut, he truly _was_ afraid, but not for the war or failing in his mission, but of what his success would _mean_. "...I'm afraid that if it comes down to it, if I'm forced to _choose_ my ally...that the Geth will be more useful."

Silence.

Tali was stiff as a board under him, completely still. He could feel her heart beating though, quick and terrified.

_Forgive me_...

"Th...that won't happen." Tali finally responded, voice meek and unconvincing, trembling even as her hands resumed trailing over his back. "I...I _promise_ that won't happen."

Michael smiled at that, but it was a painful smile.

He dug himself deeper into the bed, pressing close to her, drowning himself in the scent and feel of her, forcing his fears aside with an effort of will even as the Quarian responded by holding him closer, a desperation in the way she held him.

"Okay..."

8

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8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being the scope for my rifle._


	37. Chapter 37

"And we didn't even have time to stay for Thane's funeral..."

They were in the Mess Hall. With most people already having eaten and being on duty, they were nearly alone as they sat by the table closest to the kitchen, Garrus and Liara on one side and Tali on another as the two former told the later of everything that had happened. With him seeming so introvert and set on snuggling close to her to forget his worries, Michael hadn't been forthcoming with any details of what he had told her that first night...and Tali hadn't asked, too shocked by the bombshell he had dropped to dare do anything else.

So when he had finally stepped out of bed, not even daring to look at her as he dressed and made his way to the War Room...Tali had slowly gotten up as well and decided to get some answers.

She had quickly found them by catching Liara and Garrus during their lunch, and after some light banter as well as a small meal Tali had forced into her...they had started talking.

And the story Liara and Garrus had weaved had held all the details Michael hadn't been able to speak of, but still with the emotional weight carried in his few words. Liara had been visibly upset at some parts, though mostly sympathetic with Michael's pain, as had Garrus been, though he had been less upset as he was quick to point out the strategic advantages of Michael's choices, however horrible they might be...though it often felt as if the Turian was just making excuses.

Tali had felt horrified, frightened, sympathetic...and then _tired_, the tale told to her sapping her strength as weariness set in...it was just too much to take in.

By now, as the story was winding down, Tali was only listening with one ear.

Instead she eyed her two friends from behind her visor, reading the way they sat even as she tried to bring her mind into order.

Garrus looked tired, but nothing that he couldn't handle. He had a stoic way of holding himself, the fear for his planet and his people carefully suppressed by determination and sense of purpose. Liara looked worse, there was a weariness in her way of sitting that suggested that she'd worked for far too long every day, the lack of sleep having done just as much as the burden of the war to chip away at her soul. Still, there was a toughness in the young Asari, perhaps a part of Michael, taken from their meldings, that refused to let her rest, that drove her onwards.

Both, however, was looking at her for a reaction, to see what she thought of it all, expecting her disapproval.

_But __do__ I disapprove_?

Tali was still in a shock after what Michael had revealed, of how he, if it came down to a choice between the Geth and the Quarians...feared he'd pick the Geth. It had struck her very core, for when it came down to it, her people were her _life_...without them...she shuddered to think upon it...and even more so at the thought of her own lover being the cause for such an end.

_He was being emotional, expressing his fears, it doesn't mean he'll actually __do__ it_.

The thought was somewhat helpful. For all her imagination, Tali could _not_ imagine Michael capable of killing her people, of doing such a thing to her. Still...given what Garrus and Liara was telling her...maybe she _should_ worry? _No, no this is crazy, he wouldn't, and it won't even come to that_..._I hope_._ Dammit, Tali, the Geth are Reaper-controlled, what are the odds that Michael will __even __get__ the chance to ally with them_? _Of course, he usually manages to make the seemingly impossible a reality_...

She shivered at the thought.

_I'll just have to_..._convince him that that's not an option, that the Geth are lost and that the Quarians are his only option_. Her hands, resting on the table, clenched in anger._ Damn Xen and Gerrel, that's __exactly__ what they planned when they suggested I go with him_! She held back a sigh, not wanting to show the others she was barely listening to the story now winding down. _But what choice do I have_?

She bit her lower lip in frustration, thinking about Michael's revelation did no good, until they reached the Perseus Veil the outcome of the war was up in the air, no one could calculate what would happen, and as such it was a waste of brain-power.

_Plus, if I keep worrying about this, I'll go crazy_.

Instead, with a force of will, she focused on what Garrus and Liara had told her, of how they expected her disapproval.

_Though_..._hmmm_...

At first, when Michael had told her of what had happened, she had been horrified, unable to comprehend what madness the man spoke of. But Liara and Garrus' story had cleared up a lot, and now she found she was at odds with herself.

_Did__ he do wrong_?

Tali wasn't so sure. As a Quarian, she knew from an early age the value of sacrifice, to give your life to save the Flotilla, a ship or even another Quarian wasn't just an honourable way to die, it was the obvious course of action, anyone thinking differently was viewed as abhorrent. Of course, there was the fact that this was supposed to be _that_ person's choice, abhorrent or not, Quarians weren't Turians, and not doing what was implied as a duty wasn't punishable.

_And Michael didn't give Mordin or Wrex a choice, he __killed__ them_.

Tali had already dismissed Thane's death, Michael wasn't responsible for what Kai Leng did, and she could forgive Kaidan being injured, for when she looked at Michael, she saw his confusion, his fear...and knew he hadn't meant to injure his former comrade. But Mordin and Wrex were...trickier.

To kill a fellow crew-member on a Quarian ship was punishable by exile, the harshest punishment they had...and Michael had killed _two_. They had tried to do good too, for their _people_, for the sake of doing the _right_ thing...and Michael had _killed_ them.

It was...hard to contemplate, to try and see Michael doing such a thing.

Yet all too easy.

For hadn't he done it to strengthen the alliance against the Reapers, the creatures that ignited his very soul with rage? Hadn't he done it for the _greater_ _good_? To save _all_ life in the galaxy? Those were traits she were all too familiar with him.

Yet to kill crew-members, people he considered family...it required a cold calculating mind Tali thought Michael had never had, which he only had feigned at one point...but _never_ possessed. _Keelah, do I truly know him still_...?

In fact, killing someone because they stood in the way of the greater good, or your plans for it, was something Tali associated with The Illusive Man, rather than Michael. They both _reviled_ the man...yet now Michael seemed to hold some of his traits...a frightening prospect. _Sacrificing a friend isn't right_..._not without their willingness, I thought we both knew this_.

_Don't kid yourself Tali, you __know__ it's not that simple by now_.

Tali bit her bottom lip at the thought, the hands on the table clenching tight around one another, memories all too easily coming unbidden. Her time as an Admiral had been short, and had mostly consisted of the renewed war with the Geth...as such she _knew_ there wasn't a simple matter of asking someone to sacrifice themselves. Sometimes there was no time, sometimes you couldn't risk a no, sometimes you just had to _do_ something.

A fighter sacrificed to save a squadron, a squadron to save a cruiser, a cruiser for a Liveship...Tali had seen it all during the war, more than once.

She had even been the one forced to give such orders at times.

Tali took a shuddering breath, hating to think back on those moments, on the grief hitting her even _before_ giving the necessary order.

_No, no it's not that simple_.

Still, dooming an entire race to extinction...it was terrifying to think of. Yet if it saved the galaxy and all the other races in it...could Tali say it was wrong? _Sure, that's easy to think until it's your __own__ people_.

Tali shut her eyes tight, Michael's words echoing in her mind. "_I'm afraid_..._I'm afraid that if it comes down to it, if I'm forced to __choose__ my ally_..._that the Geth will be more useful_."

_Keelah, stop thinking about that, it __won't__ happen_! _It's ridiculous to think he'll even __get__ the option_!

Then, when she opened her eyes, she found her two friends looking at her, puzzled and worried.

"What?"

Liara answered the question with a question. "Are you...okay?" The Asari looked oddly defensive for someone mostly radiating sympathy and caring. _Guess she expects me to blame her for this mess as I did with Michael dying...guess we'll never truly be real friends_. Tali shook off the glum thought as the other woman cocked her head to the side. "You zoned out."

"Sorry, just thinking." Tali waved it off, though neither the Asari nor Turian looked convinced she was okay. "I...it's hard to picture the whole galaxy at war, you know?" _Or for the Reapers to be such a threat, I mean I __knew_..._but there's a difference between knowing and __understanding_. _Maybe I should have listened even harder to Michael_..._maybe we wouldn't be in this situation if I had_...

"Yeah, I _still_ can't quite grasp it." Garrus nodded, then his gaze moved down to the table. "Even though I keep seeing Palaven burning whenever I close my eyes..."

_Dammit_. Tali's hand moved forward on instinct, squeezing Garrus', making the Turian shoot her a thankful look. "Don't worry, Michael will get us to the other side, he always has." Her tone was more positive than she thought it would be. _But how much will be __left__ when we reach the end_?

"Yeah." Garrus nodded, sitting a little straighter, believing Tali's words in a way she herself wished she could. "But damn, I wish we could do without these distractions. Cerberus, races bickering...and now, to top it all, a Quarian-Geth war." Both he and Liara looked at her at that, curious about her opinion on the matter.

Tali sighed, looking away. She knew they wouldn't agree, but she wasn't one to hide her opinion, and...they deserved a straight answer. "I _tried_ diplomacy, I really did, but now that we're engaged...I don't see a peaceful way out." She shook her head, frowning. "And with the Geth allied with the Reapers...well they're no more than Reaper thralls now, maybe it would be _best_ to destroy them, _safer_." She shrugged. "Michael wants to talk to them...it has little chance of succeeding, not sure if it's worth the try."

Liara and Garrus exchanged a look...and Tali found them hesitating to reply to her.

Finally, Liara summoned the courage as she leant closer to the table, concern written across her face. "Tali, don't take this the wrong way...but is that what you think or what you _want_?"

_What_!? She sat up straight, but before Tali could reply, Garrus spoke up. "She has a point, Tali, you aren't exactly known for your pro-Geth opinions..."

Tali hesitated. "That's not...I spoke with Legion! I...can understand the Geth's position!" Even to her, the protests sounded somewhat weak, Garrus and Liara certainly seemed to think so. "I'm just thinking of the greater whole! I..." Tali struggled for words, yet found none. _What is there to say_? _I don't trust the Geth, even without them being allied to the Reapers_? _That I don't want to risk my people for the machines that nearly destroyed us_?_ That I'd love to see my people back on Rannoch, home, without the need for our suits_? _To see Quarian children held by their parents rather than kept in a bubble without understanding why_?_ Am I __wrong__ for wanting that_? _I remember what Legion told me but_..._this is my people we're talking about_! She found her anger rise, then suppressed it with a deep breath...Liara and Garrus didn't deserve her frustration, they were only trying to help. A flicker of movement at the corner of her eye made Tali look away from them, mood brightening at the sight. "Kal! Come help me out here!"

"Wait a moment, Ma'am." _Of course, he has to call me that, makes me feel old_... Tali smirked, Kal'Reegar was over twice her age, making Michael's worry about the Quarian somewhat silly, not that Tali would ever tell _him_ that...but mostly she was smirking because Kal'Reegar was one of the few of her people she actually _knew_...and had come to care for as one would an uncle or brother. As such she found the way the man was making his way through the kitchen amusing.

A Quarian, if eating properly, needed two meals per day, but the days before a mission Kal'Reegar always ate three _hearty_ meals a day, his explanations for it were sound...but it didn't mean Tali couldn't tease him for being a glutton. And on the Normandy the meal the Quarian was stacking up seemed to be even _larger_...and not surprising, given how he'd traded himself some food supplies of Garrus' and then sterilized them...it was not often a Quarian got to taste _meat_, vat-grown as it may be. "_Another_ meal, is this the fourth or something?"

"Third." Kal'Reegar replied without looking the least embarrassed, which didn't surprise Tali, she had never succeeded in baiting him. Instead the man sat down on her side, meal before him as he looked to the others at the table and inclined his head in greeting. "Doctor T'soni, Vakarian." Only then, did he allow himself to turn to Tali. "Now, Ma'am, what did you want?"

Rolling her eyes at the man's overly polite tone, Tali didn't manage to reply before Garrus spoke up. "This war, Reegar, what's your take on it."

"It shouldn't have happened in the first place." Kal'Reegar instantly replied, making Tali tilt her head in surprise. The other Quarian ignored her though, gaze fixed at the other two at the table. "It was a huge risk, engaging them, super-weapon or not, and given what Tali'Zorah has told me about the Reapers, the risk was too great." He clasped his hands together, leaning forward, the essence of calm. "Every ship we lose against the Geth is a ship we can't use against the Reapers, every lost marine is another pair of boots that won't be on the ground against them. That is, if we even survive this war."

Silence, the group mulling over his words.

Then Tali shook her head. "But the Geth are working _for_ the Reapers."

"They weren't before, as I've been lead to understand." Kal'Reegar calmly replied, not a hint of accusation in his tone...yet Tali still felt guilt in her part in failing to stop the invasion, to have failed to stop the situation turning to what it now was. "But yes, there is the issue of them now being under Reaper control, I wish Shepard luck in making them allies, but I believe our options now are either to neutralize them or make them a non-issue." _Ha_! "Perhaps by leaving the system and sabotage its Mass Relay?" _Wait_..._what_!? Tali stared at the Marine. _That would make us unable to get the homeworld back for centuries onwards_! The Quarian shot her a glance. "It's just my opinion, Ma'am, considering the danger the galaxy is in, we need to pick our battles. If we leave, we could drop off the civilians on a safe world like Horizon and then move to join Shepard's armada, a colony of our own is an issue for later."

"Okay...okay..." Tali sighed, feeling outnumbered, she shot Kal'Reegar a curious look though. _I wonder if_..._he feels it too_? "...feels' good to be close to Rannoch again, doesn't it?"

It wasn't often she found Kal'Reegar pausing, but he did, then cocked his head to the side, tone softening ever so slightly.

"Yeah..."

With that, the conversation died out.

8

8

8

"That is a big mess." Garrus summed up.

Michael frowned, but didn't disagree, stroking his chin as he tried to analyse the situation. "The plan is still solid, we'll push through with it, what do you think, Reegar?"

They were in the War Room, the three men surrounding the holographic map in it's centre as they watched the three-dimensional picture of the system. The star of the system, Tikkun, dominated the centre of the map, with Rannoch at one side and the massive Quarian Flotilla at the other. It was an amazing sight, even though he had seen it once before, Michael couldn't quite get over how large the Flotilla was. _So many ships_..._I want them_.

Yet close Rannoch, but also close to the Mass Relay to cut off any retreat, the Geth fleet was stationed in a wide net. The fleet was smaller than the Quarian one, but that was an illusion of strength, the Geth fleet was far more advanced, and there was no doubting the outcome if it managed to corner the Quarian one. At the head of the Geth fleet, their Dreadnought was stationed, a massive beast of a ship representing the power of the Geth...and Michael wanted _it_ just as much as the _rest_ of their fleet.

They were not the only unnatural structures in space though, a slowly expanding field of metal was further from Rannoch, ignored by both sides even as it signified the turn of the war...and Michael felt anger at the mere sight of it. The structure the Quarians had destroyed had been the Geth's attempt to find peace within themselves, a massive Dyson sphere that Legion had told him of...and now it lay in waste, a symbol of the Quarian aggression that had sparked the turn of the war. _Damn_ _this_..._foolishness_!

Michael didn't have time to berate the Quarians though, he needed _ships_, he needed _troops_...and he'd _get_ them, one way or the other. As such, he stared at the map before him even as he tried to figure out how things would play out.

Kal'Reegar, knowing nothing of Michael's thoughts, or maybe simply choosing not to ask, nodded as he saw the picture. "Yes, the plan is good, I have no trouble seeing my squad getting to the Drive Core via the maintenance tunnel, but I'm worried about yours, you have a long way to go, and largely in the open."

"We'll make good time there, and Geth aren't known for putting sentries in their ships." Michael muttered back, it was not _that_ part of the plan he was worried about.

_If__ I can sabotage the Reaper signal, I'll have the Quarians retreat and then try to reason with the Geth_. _If__ the Geth won't listen, I'll have to destroy them_. _If__ I can't get the Quarians to leave, but the Geth to listen, I'll have to_..._end the Quarians_. He swallowed, glad that he was already in his armour. Killing Mordin and Wrex was one thing...but directly killing a race was something different. _If __neither__ will listen, either refusing to stop working for the Reapers or stop attacking, I'll have to help the Quarians_. Killing an entire different race, artificial as they may be, didn't sit well with him either. _So many lost resources, simply because people didn't take my warnings seriously_..._I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place_.

He grit his teeth, frustrated. _My plan has too many ifs in it_.

Despite that, he felt ready. He wasn't like he'd been on the Citadel, emotional, angry, blind. No, he felt tense, but also focused, ready, prepared..._resolute_.

_I __will__ have two fleets from this, and if I can't have that, one, but I __will__ have it_. He glared at the image of the Geth Dreadnought, imagining it in his hands even as it now was his enemy. _It __will__ be mine_.

Then the far door opened, allowing entrance to a singular figure...and Michael threw her a glance before looking away. It was a confusing plethora of emotions running through him at the sight of her. Shame for having exposed his fears to her so openly, for having harmed her, however unintended it had been. Guilt for his plans, for feeling disloyal over even _considering_ leaving the Quarians to their doom if the Geth were the only ones willing to obey him...for planning to crash an asteroid into Tikkun's Mass Relay if the Geth proved impossible to talk to, destroying Rannoch along with them. He felt desire for her skin, for her breath...and love for her lips, for her person. He even felt anger, _anger_ for her not truly understanding what he was going through, for the way she didn't quite look at him when she marched up to the map, for being confused with him.

He also felt confusion, confusion born out of Liara and her recent expression of affection, an expression followed by...nothing really, the Asari mostly hiding far away from him.

Michael didn't understand, and whenever he tried, he just got more confused.

_I love Tali_! The thought was met with something exuberant in his chest, a wild fire enough to burn away his dark mood.

_I love Liara_. The thought was met with something soft, gentle...and elusive, as if he couldn't quite grasp the emotion...mostly, it just made him confused.

He hated that.

"Ah, Tali, we were just finishing our preparations, you want to hear the plan?" Michael felt Garrus' eyes on him, the Turian finding his somewhat polite tone curious, but Michael ignored him as he forced himself to hold Tali's gaze...something he hadn't had trouble with before. _Dammit, man up_.

"That would be nice, yes." Tali replied, tone dulled, by the subject or due to who she was talking to, Michael couldn't tell.

So he didn't try, instead he focused on the mission, on the all-important attempt to get the troops he needed for the _real_ war. His hands flew over the controls as he eyed the map in front of him. "The Quarian fleet will move around the sun and take an aggressive stance just out of the effective range of the Geth fleet." Ahead, the blue orb signifying the Quarian fleet gently slid around the sun, halving its distance to their homeworld even as the red-coloured Geth fleet moved to interpose itself between them and Rannoch. "The Geth will, as they have before, move to ensure that any shots fired that misses hits Rannoch, making the Quarian flotilla reluctant to fire since a miss would cause untold damage on their homeworld." _Ensuring Gerrel doesn't do anything stupid_. Michael didn't say it, but he felt the others understanding. "While this stand-off takes place, no doubt the Geth will try to spread out to encircle the Quarian fleet..." A few of the red dots moved to close in on the flanks of the blue group. "...the Normandy will close in on the Geth Dreadnought, its stealth system allowing us to board undetected." A single blue dot moved up to the centre of the Geth formation before the map began to change into a giant three-dimensional map of the Geth dreadnought.

Kal'Reegar took over from there, making Michael throw him an annoyed look, though to his chagrin, the Quarian didn't miss the slightest detail. "Both teams will board here, at the underbelly of the Geth ship, near its centre." There was a flashing light at the chosen spot, just where Gerrel had pointed it out. "Once aboard, my team will make its way aft and up, using maintenance halls and shafts to reach the Drive Core." Not far from the original point, the Drive Core lit up, Michael wasn't fooled though, there were tight quarters and a lot of ladders to climb, it would take time to reach it. "Even without the Reaper signal, the Dreadnought would be a threat to our retreat, so taking out its power would make things much easier for us."

"_Meanwhile_." Michael growled the word as he wrestled back control of the briefing, trying desperately to ignore the amused look Tali and Garrus shot him as he continued speaking. "My team will move up and then to the fore of the ship, to the source of the Reaper signal. We'll actually be using the Geth main-gun as our route, so it'll be important that the Quarians stay back...please remind Gerrel of that." Tali offered a quick nod even as the map on the Dreadnought flashed, showing a long length of the centre of the ship, his squad's route. "Once both objectives has been taken out, we'll retreat the same way we came, while the the Geth fleet will likely retreat closer to Rannoch in an attempt to regroup when the Quarian jamming becomes efficient once more." Again, the map of space around Rannoch was shown, the red dots representing Geth moving closer to the planet's surface. "Leaving the Quarian fleet free to move to the Mass Relay." _And me to convince the Geth to ally with me_.

"I like it." Tali said after a brief pause, nodding as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I know the fleet is eager to move, so I'll give the call right away. If you'd like, we could have everything ready in two hours." Her tone was professional, calm...and Michael felt his heart yearn, wanting _more_...

_After the war, I'll make it all up to her after the war_...

He didn't say it, instead he growled his agreement. "Sounds good."

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being patient with me._


	38. Chapter 38

"Second team deployed." A sigh. "Now to wait, you know, _quietly_."

Joker's voice betrayed his nervousness, but Michael felt surprisingly calm. He knew the Geth military doctrine intimately from his pursuit of Saren, and the Quarian battle data he'd studied during their journey to the system had only served to confirm his belief about their odds. Not that it wasn't dangerous, but it was an acceptable danger. _Sure beats fighting Reapers on foot like on Tuchanka_...

The Geth ship they had just forced themselves into was silent, the gravity only just enough to allow them to walk without mag-boots, the lights just enough for them not to require flash-lights or night-vision. The interior was much as the one on the Heretic base Legion had led Michael into, simple and minimalistic, the walls smooth, tinged blue and concave, the floor and ceiling made of the same material, but straight. The odd monitor, no furniture. The only movement were the motes of dust lazily drifting through the air of the ship, glowing white whenever a light shone directly at them.

If Michael hadn't known better, he would think the ship to be dead.

James nervously chuckled at the pilot. "Hey, at least you have a nice view."

"Oh sure, I _love_ the view of the five hundred times the size of the Normandy _Geth_ Dreadnought I've just parked next to..." Joker groaned. "...almost as much as the entire Geth _fleet_ practically surrounding me...who thought this was a _good_ idea?" A glum mutter followed his complaining. "Nobody ever asks the pilot what he thinks..."

Michael offered a small laugh. "Relax, they can't detect you, if they could you wouldn't be alive right now, now would you?"

"_Wow_, that _such_ a comfort, S_ir_." The sarcasm dripped from Joker's reply. "Actually, I think I'll sign out until you need me, just in case they manage to detect this signal." Another low mutter followed the words. "I need a change of shorts anyway..."

The words made the group chuckle, though most of them uneasily, no one felt entirely safe in the ship they were in, after all. James was the first to speak though, glancing over at the Quarian at the head of the group, the woman busy crouching by a door, quietly working on unlocking it without alerting the Geth on the ship. "Wow, I'd tease Bones, but..." He hesitated, nervously looking around himself even as Michael arched an eyebrow under his helmet. _Bones_? _Now that's just mean_..._and Joker getting __another__ nickname is just silly_. "...he's right, this is damn creepy." He shot Liara and EDI, standing opposite him in the hallway, a glance, and cleared his throat. "Not that I can't handle it, of course, I'm just _saying_..."

The two women looked at one another, EDI cocking her head to the side with a frown. "I have heard numerous mentions by the females of the crew about males and their need to protect their egos...is this an example, doctor?"

"Hey!"

Ignoring James' protest, Liara offered a pale smile from underneath her helmet. "I do believe it is, yes." She looked over to the Marine, her amusement tempered by genuine concern. "What bothers you, James? We haven't even been fired upon."

"Well...yeah, that's exactly it." The soldier grunted, hefting his Wraith shotgun, glaring at the nearest wall, as if expecting a Geth to step out of it at any moment. "We've been through what, three rooms now? But there's nothing here, where's all the...you know...stuff? Heck, where's the _guards_? I thought this ship would be crawling with Geth."

"It _is_." Tali muttered, not looking away from her work as she continued working on the door, her omni-tool glowing bright as she struggled with its locked controls and the security system within. "This ship probably contains _millions_ of Geth, but, as you humans always seem to _forget_..." Michael smirked, remembering her lecture three years ago about the Geth all too well. "...Geth are _software_, not hardware. They're busy within the ship, in its computers, controlling every little system and sub-routine on it."

Stepping closer, Michael smiled and tapped James' shoulder. "Exactly, and why would they put some in the bodies you think as Geth here? It's _their_ ship, and they don't know we're here to help the Quarians." _Though if they did, would they have prepared for us_? _Legion is well aware of our capabilities but_..._I just can't see him betraying us_..._or am I fooling myself_? He frowned, suddenly worried._ Legion, where are you_? Shaking the thought off, it would do him no good to worry any more than he already did, Michael forced himself to keep smiling. "Maybe they have 'real' Geth in storage, but they're probably relying on their security systems on the ship." Under his helmet, James frowned at the information, not quite understanding. "Just think of them as...ghosts or something, and they possess their computers and machines and such only when they need to..."

Tali chuckled at that, making Michael shoot her back a warm look...only for it to turn guilty as he shot an awkward-looking Liara a glance.

"Oh...okay." James looked back to the door ahead, squaring his shoulders. "Artificial ghosts possessing technology at will...yeah, that is reassuring to think of."

Now it was Michael's turn to chuckle. Meanwhile, Garrus moved to lean against the door Tali was working on, smirking at the Marine from underneath his helmet. "Really, Vega, you're beginning to sound like Joker, is this the best the Alliance Marines has to offer?"

"Hey, watch what you say about the Corps, Scars." James grunted, tone sharp as he straightened to his full length.

"That's better!" Garrus guffawed, then turned his gaze over to the kneeling Quarian. "Anyway, say Tali, I recognise the Geth shotgun, but what's that side-arm you're carrying? Looks fancy." Michael rolled his eyes. _Of course he'll ask about that, always looking for a powerful gun_..._freaking nut_. "Let me guess, your design?"

"Actually, Xen designed it. I only..._helped_." Tali replied, briefly glancing down at the pistol at her hip. Garrus and Michael exchanged a knowing glance. _Helping means she did half of the work, I bet_... "The Arc pistol uses an ionising laser to deliver an electric shock to anything struck. It rapidly depletes shields, which the Geth rely heavily on, and also fries circuitry quite well, another benefit when it comes to facing them."

"Very much like using poisoned rounds against a human." EDI compared, tone dull. "A 'painful', if you pardon the analogy, way to die."

This time, Tali looked away from her job properly, giving EDI a long look. "Geth _don't_ die, _organics_ do."

"If enough hardware is destroyed, they _do_ die, and if not..." EDI hesitated, frowning at Tali's back as the Quarian turned back to her work. "...I recall a human myth, of Prometheus, chained to a mountain by his lord Zeus, to have his liver pecked out each day...immortality is not always a boon."

Silence.

Tali simply squared her shoulders, apparently not about to reply to the synthetic.

Garrus though, always unwilling to keep things awkward, cleared his throat. "And the grenades on your belt? They don't look like those new ones Michael is sporting...what's up with that?"

Michael glanced down at his chest, noting the pair of new explosives attached to his bandoleer, making them his fourth type of grenade fixed to it. They were bulkier than the rest, a pale blue light emanating from the top as if the energy was already about to escape. Tali's voice was calm. "The Arc grenades I gave to Michael are my design, yes. Kal'Reegar expressed a need for for Marines to have more firepower in boarding actions without endangering the hull,given how frail the hulls of some Quarian ships are..." _Of course, Reegar_... Michael frowned, he knew he was being unreasonable, even ridiculous, but he had never trusted that man. "...it's really just a generator designed to overload in a specific way to fry nearby circuitry, nothing fancy, but the Marines seem to like it." Tali finished, tone a mixture of pride and a strive to be humble about it. "Though these things on my belt are actually deployable turrets, and yes, _my_ design...figured we Quarian engineers could use some extra firepower versus the Geth."

_Those things_? Michael eyed the little orbs fastened to Tali's belt, enough of them to force her to carry her shotgun where Michael usually carried his Revenant, not to mention making her hips look even wider than they already were.

He smirked, forcing himself to look above her rear. "More of your little toys? Named them too? Does Chiktikka get jealous?"

The Quarian looked back at him, and he felt a shiver run down his spine at the way she cocked her head to the side. "He's the only one I've named, and I hope you don't intend to get on his _bad_ side again, remember what happened _last_ time you managed that?"

Michael chuckled at the memory of the drone crashing into him during Tali's attempts to teach him basic hacking. "I _knew_ the thing attacked me!"

"Sorry...what's a Chiktikka?" James raised a hand, eyebrow raised. "And why is something named that a _he_?"

"Long story." Michael grinned, though his grin faded a little when he noticed Liara standing silently to the side, their bond telling him of a carefully suppressed vein of jealousy in her forced calm.

Fortunately, Tali had already turned back to her job...only to sigh and lower her head as Garrus spoke up. "Just..._one_ more thing..." _Here we go_. "...the armour, what's up with that?"

_Actually, that's a good question_. Tali had never worn anything but her suit before, but now her visor was covered by a grey plate, the opening for her to see through resembling an angular 'V'. A layer of lamellar plates in the same dull grey, as well as a few black pieces, covered her torso and neck. Her legs and arms were also covered by large pieces of black armour that left the joints free, even her _hood_ looked as if it was armoured! Michael approved of the change, partly because the plates somehow squeezed her suit tighter around her slim waist, but mostly because while Tali's suit sported strong shields, he'd always thought a little armour on her could never go wrong. "It was Kal'Reegar's idea."

_Of course_... Michael's approval flew out of the window as he frowned.

Tali, busy with her work, didn't notice his irritation, much to his relief. "Given how Geth weapons are designed to primarily counter shields, he suggested all Quarians in direct combat with the enemy should wear armour over their suits to make us more resilient to Geth weaponry. It was simple to implement, and the Marines who'd seen boarding actions seem to think they were worth it, so I got myself a set too."

"Ah, sounds like it was a good idea then." Garrus replied, a smirk in his voice as he kept leaning against the door, turning his gaze to Michael. "He seems the clever sort."

_Hmpf_. Looking away, Michael grunted in irritation, arms over his chest, making them demonstratively clack against his armoured chest. "Yeah, putting on armour for use in combat, who could _ever_ have thought of that?"

This time, Tali turned her head, gaze on him as he could _feel_ the smirk behind her visor...it was Liara who replied though. "Jealousy doesn't become you, Michael." _Huh_? Turning his head, Michael grimaced at the sight of the Asari staring at the floor. "Especially when you have no reason for it."

_Oh_... Michael looked away, irritated with himself for not thinking of Liara's feelings as much as for the feeling that he couldn't protest at her words. She was right, and however much he felt guilty for it now when around Liara, he loved how he felt when looking at Tali.

"_Exactly_." Garrus chimed in, far too cheerful for his own good. "Don't worry about that handsome Quarian soldier. Or at least, I'm guessing he's handsome, he _sounds_ like it, don't you think so, Tali?"

"_Very_ much so, Garrus." Tali chuckled...and Michael glared daggers at the both of them even as he struggled not to show his amusement. "Ah, there we go, got the door unlocked."

"Finally, what took you so long?" Garrus asked with a grin and stood away from the door, the Saber suddenly in his hands aiming square at it for when it opened.

"Mostly you talking too much." Tali replied with a not so innocent shrug, Geth shotgun in her hands as she inched to the left of the door.

Michael grinned, drawing his weapon of choice, the Revenant feeling as if it was made for his hands. "Okay, be ready for everything people..." A quick glance around to check everyone was moving into position...and Michael nodded. "Open it."

Soundlessly, the door slid open.

"Oh for...more walking?" James asked, glaring at the hall ahead. It was smooth, featureless, and lead _far_ ahead towards a white light.

Sighing, Michael shrugged, he knew the plan after all, they weren't there yet. "More walking."

With that, the group set off, steps cautious as most eyed what few corners there were for enemies. Michael was calmer though, realizing EDI and her systems on the Normandy would probably alert them of any changes before they even were aware of them. He _did_, however, note several square holes in the ceiling, big enough for a Geth to drop down in their customary way...

_Better not wake them then_. Michael brought his hand up to his helmet. "Kal'Reegar, this is Shepard, we're in the main hallway, approaching our target, no hostiles so far. What's your status?"

There was a crackle of static, then a grunt of exertion before the Quarian replied, sounding slightly out of breath. "We're making good time, we've just passed that area with many ladders, but weren't ambushed, as we hoped." A pause. "Right, we're in the Drive Core, it seems too sturdy for the explosives though, I'll have Tyn'Zoon hack the console, a few viruses courtesy of Admiral Xen should do the trick."

"Just hold them until we've reached our objective, in case the Geth manage to react even without their Drive Core." Michael said, though he was sure Kal'Reegar understood that, one shouldn't take chances.

"Got it, Kal'Reegar, out."

Lowering his hand, Michael turned his attention to what was ahead, finding the light ahead emanating from a closed door. "Huh...what's with the white light?" He frowned, slowing to a stop. "Why does this door have a different kind of console?"

Everyone looked to Tali for the answer...and the Quarian just shrugged, her guess as good as theirs.

For a brief moment, they hesitated.

Then Javik spoke up, annoyed as he stalked forward. "This mission is a waste of time, and I will have no more of mine spent when we could face the Reapers. Out of my way, _Quarian_." He shoved Tali aside as he marched for the door, drawing a muttered curse from her even as Michael narrowed his eyes in anger.

He didn't get the time to berate the Prothean though, for the moment the man stepped close to the door, it slid open...and the group found themselves staring into the eyes of six Geth standing right in front of them.

The Geth reacted swiftly, faster than Michael remembered they could, and his own group were only able to respond in time because they were veterans with their instincts honed from dozens of battles.

In the blink of an eye, the chamber was filled with shouts and curses as every gun on each side opened fire.

Cursing, Michael dropped onto one knee, quickly activating his radio even as he squeezed the trigger to his Revenant. "Kal'Reegar! We have Geth! They know we're here now!"

At the other end, there was an explosion, the rough voice of Reegar not aimed at Michael. "Tyn'Zoon is down! Suppressive fire! Govo, finish the upload!"

On his own side, Michael saw Javik, having been caught so close to the enemy, scream and drop his Phaeston as six pulse rifles tore through his shields and into his armour and flesh. A growl, and the Prothean crossed his arms in front of him and erected a green hue of biotic energy...only for a much larger blast than those of the Geth Troopers to strike it, sending him flying backwards and into a cursing James, both men becoming a tangle of arms and legs on the floor.

Tali, Garrus and EDI moved as one though, omni-tools glowing and knocking out the Troopers' weak shields before Liara's singularity pulled them from the floor...only for Michael's Revenant to spit death at them, heavy calibre shots tearing all six to pieces.

It didn't affect the machine that had sent Javik flying though, and Michael's gaze travelled upwards to stare at the monstrosity of a war-machine standing before him. _A Prime_..._I hate Primes_.

There was no space to manoeuvre in, no cover, and Michael grit his teeth in frustration as his and everyone else's shots were harmlessly absorbed by the Prime's shields while it brought its cannon to bear on its next target.

"Ah...shit, always me..." Garrus muttered the words, then grunted as his shields were knocked out, cursed when the second shot slammed him into the wall, his armour sizzling, and then groaned as a third blast from the Prime's cannon knocked him to the floor.

Forcing himself to ignore the way his friend struggled to get on all fours, Michael heard the thuds of Geth deploying from the ceiling behind him, and knew there was little time as he barked out the necessary orders. Knowing there was no time to reload his Revenant, he hurled it directly at the Prime. "Tali! EDI! Distract and shields!"

The rifle bounced off the head of the Prime, making it take half a step back as it analysed the danger of the attack...only to be distracted again when the purple glow surrounding Chiktikka whipped past it, the drone's bolt of light striking the Geth's back, making it momentarily turn its head towards the new foe. Then its shields flashed as EDI's overload struck it, swiftly followed by three balls of plasma from Tali's shotgun, weakening them and making the Prime refocus its attention.

It was too late though, Michael was upon it with a vengeance. Already having drawn his secondary weapon – he had come prepared for the usual Geth with the Revenant, but this was for heavier enemies like Primes and Armatures while in close quarters like a ship – Michael crashed into the Prime's left leg as he levelled his gun at the right.

A boom...and the Claymore's shot tore through what remained of the Prime's shield, then the pellets sliced through its armour, shearing the leg off at the knee and sending the machine crashing to the floor as it landed on its side.

A growl, and Michael pressed his boot onto the neck of the struggling machine while reloading the shotgun, his arm aching slightly from the powerful recoil. He turned his head, watching Javik and James limping closer as EDI, Liara and Tali slid into the room, guns sweeping over their surroundings as they scanned for more hostiles. Behind them all though, there were Geth in the hallway they had come from, swiftly moving towards them, though not firing, perhaps afraid they'd damage whatever equipment they had transmitting the Reaper signal. "James! Javik! Grab Garrus and get in here! Tali! The door, seal it!"

The group obeyed, Tali throwing a few of the drones on her belt through the doorway for good measure, the machines coming to hover over the ground as a torrent of shots and even a few small small missiles shot out of them to strike the advancing Geth to cover the the retreat of the the others.

While she did that, Michael lowered the Claymore at the foe under his boot and squeezed the trigger.

A spasm, and the Prime went still.

Then the door slid shut behind the men entering, Garrus swaying between the Prothean and Marine, but standing on his own as he muttered something angry under his breath, probably cursing the downed Prime. Tali was already rising from the console, having locked it down and preventing the pursuing Geth from reaching them. EDI and Liara had lowered their weapons, staring at the surrounding room, the former looking fascinated, the later disgusted.

Picking up his Revenant while collapsing his Claymore back to the small of his back, Michael focused back on the radio. "Reegar, we are at our location, got it locked down, what's your situation?"

"Drive Core is infected, it's suffering a cascade failure and will be down in maybe a few minutes..." A groan. "Two more casualties." An explosion made the radio screech with static, then a sigh. "Make that three."

_The entire team_... Michael swallowed. "Get yourself out of there, dammit! If the original path is cut off, use the secondary exit, I'll have Cortez stay on station and-"

"No can do, Shepard, bleeding pretty bad here." Kal'Reegar replied...and the clack of a weapon dropping to the floor made Michael turn his head in time to see Tali's hands coming up to her visor. "Pinned by rocket troopers, cover's disintegrating, plus they're trying to get to the console, can't let that happen."

"I...see." Michael sighed...and Miranda's words in the Collector base came to his mind. "We'll...make it worth it."

"I bloody well hope so." The Quarian growled, then there was a crack of a Carnifex firing followed by a Geth's electronic stutter as it died.

Tali was shaking her head though, and Michael drew nearer on instinct even as her voice, heavy with yet fallen tears, managed to speak up."No...no don't do this...Kal, I...I can't have more people under my command die, I _can't_...not _you_..." Michael grimaced, knowing all too well what she was speaking of. _Prazza and his squad, the troops on Haestrom, and now, all who've fallen in this war_... "Please don't do this...I...I..."

Then, Michael's arms was around her, and he felt her shake against his chest. He didn't say anything, there was no need, instead he just held her while closing his eyes.

"I...I _order_ you to escape alive..." The words were a mere whisper, followed by a sniffle.

"I've never disobeyed an order, ma'am...but..." Kal'Reegar hesitated. "...sorry, Tali..." Another pause, this time marked by an explosion and the cry of a dying Geth. "...kheela se'lai"

Michael tightened his grip around Tali, feeling her shake as she held back the loudest of her sobs.

But the radio didn't go silent, Kal'Reegar apparently having forgotten to shut it down as he grunted. "Okay, you sons of bitches, show me what you're made of." A growl, and the radio was filled with the blast of an explosion, then three Geth crying out in unison.

In Michael's arms, Tali was shaking. "Shhh...don't listen...please."

The Quarian just shook her head even as Kal'Reegar growled a curse as the sound of shattering glass filled the radio. "That's all you got!? Can't take out a single Quarian, can you!?" A cough, then three swift blasts of a Carnifex pistol, and the crash of metal bodies hitting the floor. "Hands off the console!" A fourth blast, followed by the explosion of a grenade...and Kal'Reegar cried out in pain even as more metal bodies fell to the floor.

Tali's whisper was so low Michael nearly didn't hear it. "I'm sorry..."

A gasp of pain, the deep electronic stutter of a Prime...and Kal'Reegar's voice became a pained hiss. "I _said_...hands off." Another shot from his pistol, and Michael heard the electronics of a computer fizzle. The stutter of the Prime got louder...and finished with a crunch of breaking armour and bones. "Too slow...bosh'tet..."

Silence.

Michael, holding Tali close, remained standing where he was, eyes shut as his hands slowly stroked her back, comforting her.

But reality was harsh, and there was no time to grieve, and Michael forced himself to turn his head away from the grieving woman and pull himself free as EDI called out. "Shepard, I believe I've found our objective."

Blinking away a tear, Michael wasn't sure if it was out of sympathy for Reegar or Tali, the Spectre finally focused on the rest of the room.

It was a chapel-like room, round and with a domed ceiling, the walls consisting of black metal that were _not_ of Geth design. _Reapers_..._the Reapers made this_. The floor was simple Geth design though, as was the ceiling, yet in the centre of the chamber the two designs seemed to flow together, a Geth style 'trunk' rising out from the floor to hold up a construction consisting of five petal-shaped plates of Reaper technology, the construct resembling the shape of a flower. Yet from within the closed petals, blue light glowed.

EDI was standing by a lone console before the 'flower', a console that the Prime had been guarding just a few moments ago, her eyes scanned the board for a second, then she looked over to Michael, eyebrow arching in a silent question.

"Go ahead."

EDI obeyed, hands sweeping over the controls...and the flower opened.

Everyone, even the still grieving Tali, gasped, staring up at the sight appearing before them.

Tubes of metal, not unlike those Cerberus had used on David Archer, were extending from the base of the flower. Coiling up like tentacles of some primal beast they were twisted around the body of a Geth, a _familiar_ Geth. Its head moved, plates around its eye flaring outwards in surprise. "Shepard-Commander, we require assistance."

"Legion...?" Michael took a step closer, staring at the machine in equal parts wonder and horror. "What have they done to you?"

"Those are hardware locks, they ensure Legion is unable to resist any commands given...much like my own from our time with Cerberus." EDI muttered, expression almost pained. "Do not worry, Legion, we'll have you out in moments."

Javik scoffed at that, but Tali was quicker to express her disapproval, voice shaking with tears, mingled with guilt and anger as she spoke. "Are you _crazy_!? You'll let a _Geth_ out of its bonds _now_!?" Michael grimaced, remembering how Tali had been before she'd met Legion. _Yet how can I blame her when she's just heard Kal'Reegar and his troops die_? "Michael, this is crazy! We don't know what the Reapers have done to Legion. It could be a sleeper agent or assassin, waiting to strike!"

"Wow, deja vu, didn't you say the _exact_ same thing last time we met Legion?" Garrus drawled, shooting the Quarian an amused look, though Michael couldn't help but notice how the Turian kept his rifle angled towards the Geth...

"Th-this is _different_!" Tali snapped, glaring at EDI and Garrus in particular even as she inched closer to Michael, tone insistent, _angry_. "The Geth are working _for_ the Reapers! Legion _is_ a Geth! Why would it be any different than the others!?"

"That is..." EDI cocked her head to the side, grimacing. "...a valid concern."

Michael, listening on the exchange with a frown, turned back to Legion, unsure. "Legion? Any input?"

"We'll submit to any restraints and precautions you deem necessary, remove our limbs if needed. However, we would ask to be removed from these bonds and transported to the Normandy for discussions about the future of the Geth-Quarian conflict." The response was quick, the machine, unsurprisingly, showing no fear of the idea of being crippled like that, its mind set on the greater picture.

_A greater picture involving the Geth and Quarians_..._you might just be the key for me getting two fleets_... Already having made up his mind, Michael only dutifully glanced over to Garrus, finding the Turian offering nary a shrug. _Right then_. "That won't be necessary." A sigh, and Michael collapsed his Revenant and put it on his back as he moved to climb up to Legion, EDI next to him as her agile platform outstripped his more careful climb.

Behind him, he felt Javik bristle with disapproval while Tali just seemed tired, angry but mostly tired.

Michael ignored them though, coming up to the top, he found EDI already working on removing Legion's restraints, the machine working with precision, yet with a frenzied undertone. _Guess she doesn't approve of hardware locks, not surprising_. Moving his hands to assist, Michael gave the Geth a curious look. "So you're not Reaper controlled? What's...up with that?"_ Damn, I hope they give me a better line than that when they make a movie out of this_...

"When we returned to the collective, our software remained intact in this platform, Geth valued the perspective gained from a separate collective, only data was shared. When the Quarian attacks destroyed more and more Geth, the larger collective deemed it necessary to ask the Reapers for assistance. We, having had immediate contact with the Reapers, having been directly, rather than via mere data, influenced by _you_, judged such submission worse than death, and...refused to assist." The last words almost sounded painful coming from the machine, and made EDI arch an eyebrow. "The Reaper was not...understanding of such a position."

"I'd say!" Michael grunted, struggling to pull off a coil holding the machine's arm in place. When he succeeded, the limb hung limp and non-threatening, only the fingers moving as Legion tested if it was intact.

Tali hummed though, sounding suspicious. "Surely the Reaper could have forced you back into the collective, used its Geth allies to use your connection against you and turned you?"

"It could, it chose not to." Legion replied, its other arm coming loose as EDI nearly ripped apart the metal tube holding it in place.

"Why?" James chimed in. "Seems odd to keep an enemy around like this..."

Legion focused its one eye on James, and the Marine visibly shivered as what he'd always been taught was an enemy spoke to him. "It was angry with our refusal to cooperate, it wished to punish us, to make us suffer. As such it had the other Geth put us here, a beacon to transmit the Reaper signal to the rest of the Geth, enabling exactly what we opposed."

James grimaced at the thought of such a punishment and lowered his head, but Tali shook hers, confused. "It...wanted _you_, a _Geth_...to _suffer_? But you don't...that makes no sense."

"We are not aware of any other motivation save for what it told us." Legion politely replied, then cocked its head to the side as Michael pulled off the last coil holding it in place, a low electronic stutter escaping it. "Cutting signal, Reaper signal disrupted..." A pause. "Alert, this ship's Drive Core just went offline, defences, propulsion and weapons offline, other Geth ships report garbage data disrupting their sensors...error." Finally, it shook its head, turning to look at Michael, something intense in its eye. "We believe we are in danger, Shepard-Commander."

"Don't worry about it, we have the Quarians-" Michael's response was cut short by a beep, making his hand move up to his helmet and his radio. "Shepard."

"Shepard, you've done it! The Reaper signal is no more and the Geth are retreating towards Rannoch!" Gerrel growled out his approval. "Except the Geth Dreadnought...it's ripe for the plucking, the Reaper signal will _not_ come back online!" _What_!? "Fighters and Frigates, all ahead full and destroy the Geth flagship up close! Don't let it get away!"

"Gerrel! You son of a..." Michael stood there, for a moment overcome by rage. _My ship_! Then he shook himself. "Korris! Stop him!"

"Korris' ship crashed on Rannoch during our manoeuvring into position, and _I'm_ in command here." Gerrel snapped...and the ship shook, nearly knocking Michael off his feet. "Raiding wing, continue bombardment!" _Raiding_..._he had prepared this_!

For a moment, Michael's vision blurred into red rage...and then he felt Legion's hand on his arm. "Shepard-Commander, we must leave, without shields, this ship will not survive a close ranged bombardment for more than a few minutes. The hangar bay contains Geth fighters, we suggest retreat."

Michael blinked, mind drawing on the map of the ship he'd memorized before the mission. "Yes, good idea. James, use your explosives to destroy the floor over..." He looked around himself, then pointed at a far off corner. "...there."

"What?" The Marine stared at him confused.

"It's a hall leading to the fighter bay underneath it, get to it!" Michael snapped, then turned back to Tali, still speaking into the radio as he gestured at her to speak. "Admiral Zorah is still aboard! Xen! Talk him down!"

There was no reply from the other Admiral though, only Gerrel's sigh. "Sorry kid, this is for the good of the fleet."

"No! _Retreat_ is what's good for the fleet, you _moron_!" Michael roared

There was no answer, only the explosion as James destroyed the floor at the other end of the room, followed by a duller one that made the entire ship shake, Legion's voice impassive. "Hull breach, engine room, warning, radiation levels increasing"

Tali, shaking her head as if coming out of a stupor, moved her own hand up to the side of her helmet. "Shala'Raan! Stop him! He'll _kill_ us! Auntie Raan! He's killing us!"

Again, there was no answer.

And Tali lowered her hand, voice trembling in disbelief. "Auntie Raan...?"

"Let's go!" James' shout was followed by a flurry of activity as the group rushed for the exit he'd created. Tali just stood there though, staring straight ahead, unable to comprehend the silence answering her call.

_They'll pay for this_.

Growling, Michael grabbed Tali's hand and pulled her along with him.

_Oh they'll pay_..

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being such a hungry reader._


	39. Chapter 39

"Come on."

Tali felt dizzy.

The moment they had regrouped with the Flotilla they had docked with the Quarian command ship, Michael not even having bothered to request permission for it, a rude breach in protocol. The only squad-mates he had brought were Tali, Garrus and Legion...and Tali couldn't comprehend the _madness_ to bring the last one with him! Yet Michael didn't seem to care, in fact, he wasn't even wearing his helmet! With their suits on, it was technically no problem for the Quarians on board, but the ship was now contaminated and would need a clean crew...and the fact that Michael hadn't put the helmet on was _clearly_ meant as an insult. Tali didn't bother to point any of this out though, Michael's eyes had been blazing with anger ever since the destruction of the Geth Dreadnought. He knew _exactly_ what he was doing, and would allow _no one_ to interfere.

Not that Tali was in a state to protest anyway, the whole ship seemed to be spinning around her, and it was only by keeping her eyes on Michael's back that she could keep walking in a straight line. Garrus was giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, for which she was thankful, but it hardly helped with her mind in a spin of confusion and fears.

_Auntie Raan said nothing, she was willing to_..._to_...

She swayed...and Garrus gripped her shoulder more firmly, gently guiding her on.

_What kind of animals are we turning into_!?

Before her, Michael's shoulders offered no answer, only anger, rage.

_Were you this angry when you killed Wrex_? _Mordin_? _Keelah_..._murdered_ _them_...?

Tali shook her head, everything she knew seemed to have been thrown out the airlock. Michael willing to sacrifice squad-mates for some grand goal only he could truly see, risking everything by bringing a potentially Reaper-controlled Geth in front of the Quarian Admirals, Admirals who'd now lost their chance at retreat and now risked the entire Quarian _people_...it couldn't be real, _shouldn't_, yet it was!

_Where did our sanity go_!? _This_..._all_ _of_ _this_..._it's_ _insane_!

In a way, she could understand Gerrel. The Geth Dreadnought had destroyed several cruisers already, killing over four thousand Quarians, it was only natural to want revenge, and to be willing to make sacrifices to end the threat of the Reapers controlling the Geth once and for all. Yet _Raan_, Tali's only real family, had given her silent approval! _If Michael hadn't lead us out_..._I would have been killed by my own kind_.

She focused back on Michael again, and shuddered at what she saw. There was anger there, yes, but the anger wasn't about her and him nearly having been _killed_, it was an anger about something else, something Tali couldn't, or didn't _want_ to, understand.

_Who are you_?

The question made her shiver, for when it came down to it, she knew _exactly_ who he was. He might once have hidden behind a calculating veneer to conceal his emotions, but beneath _those _the calculations still ruled. Once, _long_ ago, he had saved the Rachni, and not for any other reason but because he saw it as the _right_ thing to do. Another time, still long ago, he had talked Wrex down from fighting him, caring for his friend.

Later, he had helped Mordin out of the kindness of his heart, yet saved Maelon's data for its strategic worth. She remembered how he'd overwritten the Heretic Geth, not out of a will to preserve their artificial lives, but for more _allies_, she remembered how he'd saved the Collector base for the Illusive Man, a base that had seen so much death and suffering...for the mere _chance_ of another weapon against the Reapers.

And _now_ Mordin was dead, the cure sabotaged, all out of strategic _necessity_. Wrex had been killed too, again, for the sake of his allies and plans. He had wiped out the Rachni simply for the _risk_ they posed, yet now was trying to free the Geth from their Reaper master so he could ally with them, seeing them as too powerful to waste.

It was a testament to what emotions his calculations now allowed.

It wasn't kindness, it wasn't generosity or the protection of the weak.

And that _frightened_ Tali.

_Was I blind to this_? _Or did I always know, yet saw it as admirable_? _Why does he remind me of my father_,_ all plans, no time for those that matter most to him_...?

_And now Kal'Reegar is gone_...

The grief made Tali squeeze her eyes shut. Next to Raan, Kal had been the one she knew best in the Flotilla, one of those who didn't see the Admiral's daughter, one to keep your distance from while admiring. He had always spoken to her with respect, _too_ much respect in fact. But it had never been forced, never with an agenda or an emotionless knee-jerk reaction...he had _respected_ her, even, in his own way, _cared_ for her. When Quarians ate on the ship, _he_ was the one to come and dine with her, despite her never having asked him for it.

And now he was gone.

Tali wasn't crying, the wound too fresh to comprehend after the shock had settled in, but she felt close.

The hiss of a door opening pulled her back to reality though, the slight hitch in it telling her it was the door to the Command Centre on the vessel. _Keelah, I'm not sure I can face her_... Swallowing, Tali looked up as Michael lead the way into the chamber, her gaze moving, locating Shala'Raan's to the right, finding herself _yearning_ to ask the woman what she'd been thinking...only for the older woman to look away in guilt.

Michael wasn't even glancing at her though, nor Xen on the left, his gaze fixed on the Admiral in the middle as he marched forward, as unstoppable as a Krogan in a charge.

"Shepard, I apologise for what I did, but now that the Reapers have been defeated we can easily..." Gerrel started, then the eyes under his visor widened at the sight of the bareheaded human. "...what the hell do you think you're..." Then they widened even further as the Geth appeared in the doorway. Shala'Raan gasped in fright as Gerrel, the only one armed, whipped up a Carnifex pistol. "Keelah! Kill it!"

Michael's left hand swung, and Gerrel's pistol was sent flying through the room.

The next moment, the hand was around Gerrel's throat, pushing him back until he was half-laying on the holographic map, his visor glowing with the reflection of the raised omni-blade shooting forth from Michael's right fist as it swung down.

And then stopped.

Gerrel, completely still, stared at the tip of the blade a mere inch from his visor. Xen and Shala'Raan, both having jumped back, were anxiously staring at Michael, then over to Legion walking down to stand next to Michael. A Michael standing completely still too, his anger making his arms shake. _Keelah_... Tali stared at the scene in horror, unsure what to do. _This_..._this is madness_...

Silence.

"No." A growl...and the omni-blade was deactivated as Michael released the Quarian Admiral and took a step backwards, eyes still alight with fury, but now also with something else, something intense. "No one is to be killed today." He glared at Gerrel as the Admiral infinitely slowly, moved to stand up, gaze flicking between the human and the Geth, unsure which one posed the worst threat. "Fortunately for you, I still think the Quarian fleet can be saved, or _you_ would be the one dead now..." Tali's eyes widened, she knew Michael better than most, and what she saw stunned her. _You meant you still think the Quarian fleet can be of __use__ to you_... "But threaten Legion here again, and I'll _revise_ my opinion."

The man _meant_ it, they all saw it...and Gerrel's eyes widened as he inched around the map until he could put it between him and the Geth-human duo. "I...I see."

Silence.

"Fascinating." Xen's word broke some of the tension in the room, the Quarian taking a furtive step closer as with a cocked head she stared at Legion. "Tali _did_ mention a custom-designed Trooper-shell for a larger number of Geth programs, I assume this is it? If I could get some time with it to study its inner workings I could well develop a weapon-"

"_Or_..." Michael snapped, glaring at the doctor. "...I'll have Legion here open _you_ up to see if the Geth could find some weapon to use against Quarians, how does that sound?"

The Admiral, confused, took a step backwards even as Tali read her stance. _Yes, it's just a machine, I know, but_..._I don't know_. Tali threw Legion a curious look, unsure how she felt about the Geth after what Legion once had told her.

A Legion suddenly speaking, making the three Admirals before them jump back in surprise. "We intend no harm to Creator bodies through experimentation or combat." It turned its head to look at Michael, inclining it slightly. "We thank Shepard-Commander for his protection of this platform though, we hope it to be the initial steps to a desirable end to hostilities."

"_Hope_?" Xen echoed, her fright at Michael's words already forgotten as she stared at Legion with rapt fascination.

"It's an admirable trait." Legion replied, looking over to Xen. "We perceive it as useful."

"Enough of this madness." Gerrel snapped, apparently feeling confident enough now to point an accusing finger at Legion. "How do you _dare_ to bring a Geth onto this vessel, Shepard!? It could be controlled by the Reapers, an assassin or spy!"

"I'm sorry..._who_ was the one firing on me just an hour ago?" Michael scoffed. "While _you_ were busy wasting your chance to save your people by blowing me and my team up, _Legion_ here was leading us to safety and was the one who disabled the Reaper signal in the first place...so if you don't mind me saying it, I trust _him_ more than I do _you_."

_It_. Tali grumbled, annoyed with how humans always seemed to forget AI didn't really have genders. _Guess Legion's voice is the thing that does it...not to mention that EDI isn't really making it easier_..._even __I__ think of her as a she_! _Of course, that's easier, she's an ally while Legion is_..._I don't know_. She shot the Geth a suspicious look. She didn't understand the Reaper's thinking. Legion _couldn't_ be punished, for it couldn't _suffer_...so why put it into the Geth Dreadnought to transmit the signal then? There was something Tali didn't know about the situation, and she didn't like it...

Gerrel seemed ready to respond to Michael's accusing words, but Legion was the one speaking first. "We are not Reaper controlled and wish to assist in the liberation of _all_ Geth from said control."

"You _are_?" Shala'Raan finally managed to speak, sounding surprised, though instantly looked away when Tali shot the woman a look. _Ancestors, I must speak to you about this_..._why didn't you __say__ anything_!?

"Affirmative." Legion nodded, then looked around, realising it would have to elaborate. "As long as the Geth are under Reaper control, they are slaves to the Reaper's will, and will remain so unless Shepard-Commander wins this war, in which case they'll be destroyed. We view neither state as desirable for our people. If the Reaper control can be _stopped_, however, the Geth can assist with the war against the Reapers..." _Did you say that for Michael's benefit, or are you genuine_...? "...to preserve our existence." The plates around its eyes clacked against the head in a drumming pattern. "With this in mind, we desire peace with Creator forces and all organics."

The silence that followed was deafening.

_Peace with the Geth_... Even though she had worked to just that end before the war, even Tali found the thought somewhat alien...and she couldn't imagine how the others would view the idea. _Abhorrent_? _Laughable_? _Crazy_?

"A risky plan..." Garrus spoke up, the Turian walking to stand beside Michael. Having realised the pointlessness of it now that Michael had broken regulations, he too had taken his helmet off, and the way he glanced over to the Admirals when speaking to the Geth showed what he suspected would happen the moment the Geth were free from the Reapers. _That would be wrong_... Tali hated how hesitant her own thought was.

"Correct." If Legion suspected the same, it kept it to itself. "However, it is the only alternative open to us."

Tali hesitated, glancing at Gerrel. "Would...would the Geth be willing to give the Quarians back their homeworld if they're freed from the Reapers?"

Shala'Raan and Xen both took a step forward even as Gerrel cross his arms over his chest, apparently finding the idea ridiculous. Legion, however, nodded. "With agreements of cooperation and peace, yes."

_Wow_...

The silence following lasted a mere second though, as Xen leant forward, shaking her head. "Wait a second...before...did you say that the other Geth are _still_ under Reaper control?"

"Affirmative."

"But that's _impossible_!" Gerrel gasped, slamming a fist into the map before him. "We destroyed the Geth Dreadnought!"

"The Dreadnought was a secondary channel for distributing the signal." Legion calmly, as it always was, explained. "It was believed the transmission from the signal from that location would trigger a Creator attack, forcing a direct engagement."

"Bait." Gerrel breathed, lowering his shaking head.

"Correct." Legion replied. "Now that the secondary channel is no more, the primary will be active, the Reaper itself distributing the signal."

"Then why are the Geth retreating closer to Rannoch's surface?" Gerrel pushed off the map, looking up...and then froze. "Unless they..._want_ us to push the advantage?"

"As the Creator stated before, bait." Legion summarised with a nod of its head. "The primary signal takes approximately twenty minutes to activate. Creators had just enough time to destroy the Geth Dreadnought, but any further advances would have been met with a counter-attack."

"Ah..." Gerrel muttered, looking suspicious of the information...only for the suspicion to turn into something clever and gleeful as he turned his gaze to Michael. "I guess then, that retreat hadn't been possible? The Flotilla would have been caught mid-transport, over half of it destroyed in our attempts to escape...it would have been a _disaster_..."

Michael gritted his teeth, his whole posture tensing as the simmering anger in his veins bloomed. His voice was terse...and Tali stared at him with concern. "Don't _push_ me, Gerrel, this is _not_ a good day for that..." For a moment, the two men glared at one another...and then Michael turned to regard the Geth in the room. "Legion, you said the primary channel is now open...so the Quarians could track the signal as they did with the Dreadnought, right?"

"Affirmative, Shepard-Commander." The Geth nodded. "It will take time though, the Reaper will have changed frequency and the signal's design. We will render our assistance." It glanced over at Gerrel. "Should Creators desire it." The Admiral crossed his arms over his chest, only for Xen to slap his arm with an annoyed look in her posture, making him sigh as he nodded his acceptance.

"Okay, as to this _Reaper_..." Michael frowned, the back of his eyes alight with hate at the mere _mention_ of his old foe. "Are you sure it's just one, what type?"

"We are confident there's just one, Shepard-Commander, the Reaper's strength in this war is their Geth allies, it was deemed enough."

"Distracting us and spreading our strength out with as little forces as possible while the main force focuses on the areas they want to 'harvest'..." Michael growled, so lowly Tali nearly didn't catch it.

"As to what type, this Reaper is a smaller ship, _physically_, it's mind though..." Legion, as always when it did it, surprised Tali by hesitating. "...it's incomprehensibly large."

_What could be so large an AI couldn't comprehend it_...? Tali shuddered. Michael however, had a grim smile on his face. "I only care about the physical aspect, Legion, and don't worry, those things die easily enough."

"Easily?" Garrus drawled. "That's not how _I_ remember it..."

Tali smiled at that.

"While the Quarians locate the Reaper though, we have other things to focus on." Michael's words drained her smile away as she watched the man glare at Gerrel. "While you were _shooting_ at us, I remember you saying Koris crashed..."

Ignoring the jab, Gerrel shrugged. "Indeed, Geth cruisers made a raid on the Flotilla as it moved to position during our operation. Koris put his ship in their line of fire to stop them attacking a Liveship and had his ship split in half, the remains were caught by Rannoch's gravity and crashed." A sigh. "I believe there is little chance to find him alive, most of the ship burnt up on impact and there's Geth all over the planet..."

"But there _were_ escape pods jettisoned from the ship, he could still be in them, as well as some of his crew." Shala'Raan spoke, shooting Gerrel an upset look before turning to Michael. "We would be grateful if you could rescue him and any of his crew, the civilians in particular _need_ him."

It wasn't a lie, Tali knew all too well how much the Civilian fleet had come to rely on Koris' calm but compassionate leadership. They _knew_ he was looking out for them, and did a good job at it too, and that had given them strength. She saw though _why_ Michael wanted to do that, he wanted to save an Admiral advocating peace...he was focusing on the _political_ needs. _If_..._if Gerrel had been the one crashing_..._would you try to save him_? Tali stared at the man, unsure if she wanted to know the answer, or if she already _did_... "I'll get him back, you can count on it, the Normandy will move out the moment we're back aboard."

"We also have a situation in need of attention, Shepard-Commander." Legion spoke up, making the others stare at it in surprise. "Before we severed the connection to the Geth consensus, we detected plans for another raid of Creator forces." Gerrel took a quick step forward, eyes intense as his impatient posture urged the machine to continue. "Using the Tikkun sun's radiation to mask it, a Geth raiding party consisting of several heavy cruisers designed for firepower will move in on the Flotilla and attack its Liveships to either cripple or destroy them." The Geth cocked its head to the side as all Quarians in the room gasped. _There's __millions__ on those three ships_! "We did not manage to determine the route of the ships though."

"Then..." Gerrel audibly swallowed. "...we won't know where they'll come from, where to go, even if we _could_ go anywhere."

"What?" Michael looked over to Gerrel, frowning. "What do you mean, _could_ go?"

"He _means_ that the loss of Koris was more...devastating than we could have anticipated." Xen remarked. "The Civilian fleet is terrified, some speaking of desertion or retreat, others of suicidal attacks. With Koris gone, reason among the civilians seems also to have been lost."

Gerrel nodded, voice terse with worry. "An order to retreat could not only provoke the Geth, but also make the civilians panic. An order to _manoeuvre_ would be met by other problems, and an attack on the Liveships themselves occurring..." The Admiral visibly shuddered.

Michael's smile was grim, making Tali stare at him in horror. _This is the fate of millions, we're talking about_! "Guess the destruction of the Geth Dreadnought wasn't enough to raise the morale of your troops, huh?" There was a hint of smugness in his tone.

Even as Shala'Raan shifted, uncertain, Gerrel threw her a sharp look before turning back to Michael. "The _majority_ is still for pursuing this war, Shepard. Don't doubt our dedication to the cause, we _will_ have our homeworld back..." He glanced at Legion, then back to the glaring Michael...and reluctantly nodded. "...one way or the other."

"Then you'll _get_ it." Michael snapped back. "_From_ the Geth, understood?" He shot Legion a look...

And the Geth nodded. "Agreed, terms of the exchange can be decided later."

Gerrel stared at the machine, searching for deception in what amounted to a statue of steel...and then sighed and shrugged. "Very well, Shepard..." A shake of his head. "...now, _Geth_, I hope you mentioned this danger with the intent of revealing a plan to _stop_ this...I will _not_ make peace if your people kill _millions_ of mine like this, I assure you."

"We did." Legion's plates clacked together around its eye, though what it tried to communicate with it, Tali couldn't understand. "While we could not determine the route of the fleet, we _could_ locate the server from which the ships will be directed from."

"Sounds easy enough." Garrus shrugged. "We'll have the Normandy bomb it to slag, problem solved."

_Keelah_..._doesn't anyone know how the Geth work_!? Tali slapped her visor in exasperation even as Legion shook its head. "Incorrect, destruction of hardware will transfer software to another server. The delay to the attack would be minimal. However, if the Geth programs themselves are destroyed, it will take time to transfer others into piloting the Geth ships, rendering them vulnerable to a Creator counter-attack."

"You're...willing to help us destroy other Geth, not just the hardware, but their software?" Gerrel muttered the question, taken aback.

And Legion turned an impassive look towards him. "If it will further a Creator and Geth peace, yes."

_Wow_...

"Okay, so how do we go about that?" Michael grimaced. "I'm guessing it isn't as easy as deleting a file...?"

"Correct." To Tali's surprise, Legion suddenly turned to look at her, it was only a glance, but it made a chill run down her spine. "Remember the Cerberus experiments on the planet Aite, Shepard-Commander? Their attempts to merge an organic mind to the Geth collective?"

"I have a _weak_ memory of a mad human fused to machinery trying to kill us and momentarily possessing my armour, yes." Michael scoffed, arms crossed in front of his chest as he frowned. "_Please_ don't tell me that's part of your plan..."

"The Geth decided to pursue a similar technology. It was believed if an organic mind could be brought to our world, they could learn to understand us." Legion replied, and Tali grimaced. _Not again_..._I was so scared when it happened to you_..._and you weren't even __directly__ linked into it_. "However, this technology was designed with Creators in mind, their experience and adaptations to their suits make them more suited for uploading, and they were deemed a primary target for learning about us." _What_?

Tali stared at the machine in shock even as Xen took two steps closer, nearly shouldering Gerrel aside as she leant over the map, eyes intense under her visor. "You suggest using a _Quarian_ to upload into the Geth consensus to assist you in deleting Geth programs?"

"With Reaper algorithm's defending the server, we are unable to penetrate its defences. An organic mind would not be constricted as we are." Legion evenly replied. "A skilled Quarian hacker would enable us access, at which point we would delete the Geth programs on the server. We suggest we use Tali'Zorah for this attempt."

_WHAT_!? Tali took a frightened step backwards even as Michael's eyes widened in fear and worry, the human's hands closing into fists as he shot Legion an angry look. "You'd _better_ have an explanation for that choice."

"Tali'Zorah is an unmatched Quarian engineer and hacker that is intimately familiar with Geth programs. We believe she first came into contact with Shepard-Commander by way of hacking a Geth datacore containing discriminating information on the former Spectre Saren, isn't this so?" Tali grimaced and took another step back, fear churning in her gut at the thought of such an interaction._ I hack from the __outside_..._I don't want to_..._what if __I'm__ the one getting hacked_?_ I won't even know how to_..._how does Legion figure I'll be of __any__ help_!? "We believe Creator Tali'Zorah to have the highest chance of success for this mission, Shepard-Commander."

Michael hesitated...and Tali's eyes widened. _You're not actually considering it_!? Xen, however, nodded eagerly. "That is an _amazing_ opportunity, but may I make an addendum? Seeing as how Tali is obviously distressed at this idea, I'll _gladly_ volunteer my own services. I am just as capable as her in the art of hacking Geth."

Legion looked at the other Quarian, plates tapping around its eyes...and shook its head. "No."

Xen, pulling her head back in surprise, narrowed her eyes. "No? I...specify."

"Creator Zorah is a known quality to us, we understand her, trust her." Legion replied, evenly looking back. "We do not, however, trust you."

"I..." Xen spluttered, obviously stunned she had to argue with a machine. _You may know Geth, but you never understood them as being thinking beings_... "I'm fairly sure you can trust me to _delete_ Geth programs, surely it's not so strange if I-"

"We said no." Legion snapped, crossing its arms over its chest in a surprisingly organic way. "If Creator Tali'Zorah isn't the one to accompany us in this task, we will not reveal the server's location, and the Geth raid will proceed as planned."

"Wha...that's _absurd_!" Xen shook her head violently, angry as her chance to study the Geth in detail seemed to slip by. "I _demand_ that you allow me the chance to assist in this!"

"The Creator is in _no_ position to make demands!" Tali's eyes widened as the Geth raised the volume of its voice, pointing a sharp finger at Xen's face. "You will _not_ touch the Geth consensus, I won't allow it!"

Silence.

And Tali found herself standing frozen to the spot, a shiver running down her spine as Xen huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, angry with the lost opportunity. _Did Legion just say_...'_I_'?

Before she could think on it further though, Michael turned to look at her. There was pain in his eyes, worry for her...but mostly she saw what he wanted, what he saw as an acceptable risk...and she struggled not to loathe the look even as she found herself agreeing with it. "It _would_ save millions of lives, Tali..." A deep breath, and the man seemingly forced himself to continue. "...but it's your call."

"What do you _think_ I'll say?" Tali shrugged, feeling weary with the way Michael had just tried to make it sound as if she had a choice, knowing he was willing to risk her like that. It..._hurt_. "Of course I'll help, Legion."

The Geth didn't answer at first, its glowing eye fixed on Xen, posture stiff and hostile as it faced the Admiral...and then it eased back, looking back to Tali and bowing its head. "We thank you for your trust, Creator Zorah."

_We'll see_... Tali swallowed, forcing herself to stand straight even as Michael's hand moved to offer her a comforting pat on the shoulder, obviously pained by asking her to do such a thing.

But the gesture, knowing that he _wanted_ her to do it, felt empty.

8

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"Why?"

With the need for an additional liaison from the Quarians on the Normandy, given where Tali was going, Shala'Raan was on the ship. She was currently sitting at the dining table, all wonder at the pristine condition of her new surroundings forgotten as she sat opposite Tali, not quite able to meet the other Quarian's gaze as she repeated the question. "Why? You could have...why didn't you _say_ anything when Gerrel attacked?"

"I...sweetie..."

Tali felt anger well up at the name, shaking her head. "The sweetie you almost _killed_, _aunt_..." Shala'Raan wasn't her real aunt according to human customs, but Quarian family bonds was less mired in blood, and as such the title carried weight...and now, _pain_. "...you could at least have said _something_."

"I...couldn't find the words." A deep breath...and Shala finally turned her head and looked at Tali, her posture full of guilt, but no apology...and Tali felt her own shift to one of boiling anger, ready to spill forth. "Tali, that ship killed thousands, it could have killed thousands _more_, had it remained..." She saw Tali cocking her head to the side, and sighed. "No, I didn't know about it before Gerrel attacked...but...he did the right thing."

"Wha...how can you _say_ that!?" Tali shook her head in shock. "I was _on_ that ship!"

"And I would have grieved." Shala replied diplomatically, making Tali seethe. "Don't look at me like that..." The other woman looked away. "...you know as well as I do that a Quarian is expected to sacrifice herself for the sake of the many if it's needed..."

"It's expected, but it's _still_ that Quarian's _choice_!" Tali growled, hands on the table, clenching the edge furiously. "I volunteered to give us a chance to escape through the Mass Relay, _not_ to be sacrificed!"

"Tali...you too have given orders like that one." _I_..._yes_. Tali grimaced even as Shala'Raan, realising she had hit a nerve, continued, voice soft. "Sometimes, sacrifices _must_ be made, and not always by those that had volunteered to make them. Trust me, I would have _gladly_ have changed places with you, had it been possible, but I'm too old to fight in person." Her entire posture spoke of truth...and Tali found her anger petering out as weariness set in. A hand fell upon one of hers, easing it off the the edge of the table. "Tali, the people _need_ a homeworld, and it's our _duty_ to give them one, no matter what, you understand this, don't you?"

Tali sighed, nodded...and then suddenly shook her head, throwing off the lethargy and weariness as she would a cloak as she pulled her hand out of Shala's grip. "No, our _duty_ is to make the hard decisions, to help our people, even when they don't like our decisions, something _you_ seem to have forgotten!" She sighed when she saw Shala's hurt look, but continued none the less. "How many _more_ Quarians must die before you realise this!? Must we wait until the _majority_, however many are left by then, wants to leave before you make the right decision!? Will it be too late then!? We are _Admirals_! Not _politicians_! Our position don't demand that we make the popular decisions! They demand we make the _right_ ones!"

"Tali, we're so _close_..." There was a longing in Shala's voice, and to her annoyance, Tali echoed it, her gaze dropping to the floor, as if she could see through it, as if she could see..._Rannoch_. "Just a little more, and one way or the other, we'll have our home back."

"Or we'll all be dead." Tali finally replied, voice glum. "You saw how Michael stood with Legion, he _means_ it. You know, if pushed...if he thinks he can get the Geth to ally with him...he'll pick them over us if we try something."_ I can't believe I'm saying this_..._that_ _it_ _came_ _to_ _this_.

A motherly chuckle as Shala patted Tali's hand. "I doubt that." A shrug, the woman looking a little more confident. "Besides, if the Geth are out of Reaper control, we can solve things diplomatically, and if not...well...without the Reaper control Shepard's allies will not stand much chance against us and Xen's weapon." Tali looked up, eyes wide. "Don't look so shocked, sweetie, I'm just stating facts. Either Shepard will get us and the Geth on his side...or only us. He doesn't really have any other choice." A shrug. "I'm...unsure, but if Shepard needs the Geth, I'd let him have it, but I won't shed many tears if Gerrel decides to get rid of them." Then, Shala's eyes narrowed, a little wary. "Neither should you, considering what they did to your father..."

"I..." Tali grimaced. _That's true, and I've never_..._well the Geth chose their allies, if the consequences in the end is their destruction, can we be blamed for finishing them off_? _Michael would but_..._Keelah, Shala has a point_. Though she felt a little guilty about it, Tali felt relief at Shala's words. If Michael was successful, the Quarians would survive no matter what. "...no, I suppose not." She shook her head, turning her attention back to the other woman. "But I'd prefer it if the Geth remained, I think. I mean, if even _half_ the things Michael says about the Reapers' progress is true, we could _use_ them..."

"Yes, I agree." Shala put her hand back on Tali's, and this time, Tali didn't withdraw it. Her trust for the other woman was shaken, but she had to admit Shala had a point. "And I'll do everything in my power to make Gerrel see this, I promise."

"Good, it would be good if-" Tali looked up, smiling at the sight of the man approaching, the memory of his recent support still fresh in her mind. "Oh, hello Garrus, what's up?"

"I'm afraid it's time to go." The Turian replied, shooting Shala a wary look, he hadn't quite gotten over being fired upon by his allies, it seemed. He looked back to the Tali though, looking awkward even as he tried a smile. "Michael will take James, Liara and Javik to save Koris, so it's you, me, EDI and Legion to go to that server."

Nodding as she accepted the disposition, time was of the essence for both operations after all...and to be honest she could do with some time away from Michael...Tali got up. "Okay, I'll be right there."

Shala's voice was one of a suspicious woman, tasting the name that was an acronym. "Who...or _what_...is EDI?"

"Errr...I'll tell you later."

With that, hooking her arm under Garrus', Tali beat a swift retreat, pointedly ignoring the way the Turian chuckled at her.

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for her endless endurance._


	40. Chapter 40

_Rannoch_.

Michael couldn't comprehend how much seeing the planet would mean to Tali, and hated the fact that he wasn't there to see it, but Koris needed his help and Garrus was more than capable of seeing her through the other mission.

Or at least, that's what Michael told himself.

_Don't think about it_.

Standing up, Michael could see Rannoch up close through the windows of the shuttle door, and if one discounted those that had crashed on the planet – who might already be dead – he and his team were the first organics to have seen the planet for three hundred years. It was, some might say, a historical moment.

Yet all Michael saw was a battleground...and deep inside, he admitted that that saddened him.

The planet was an arid place, in the days the heat was near forty and fifty Celsius, though the constantly cool breezes sweeping over the land made the heat less oppressive. Much of it consisted of deserts, the vegetation mostly being concentrated around the seas. Yet even here, in the middle of one such desert, there were gnarled ash-coloured trees dotting the field, as well as tufts of long grass coloured in a dull purple. Besides the plant-life, the desert wasn't featureless, in fact, it consisted of less sand than it did of orange and brown stone, some rising up to form great pillars, others creating ridges and mountains

With a sense of it all being unreal, Michael watched a large bird in all the colours of a rainbow take flight from one of the trees, if it even knew of the war raging above, or that the planet it was on was owned by synthetic life, it didn't show it.

_Lucky animal_.

Michael wasn't sure he'd find Koris alive. Or _anyone_, in fact. He could only _hope_...without the Admiral it was just a matter of time until the Quarian civilians did something stupid, and that could well lose him _hundreds_ of ships. For despite Gerrel's stupidity, Michael truly wasn't ready to write the Quarians off as a loss. _In fact, the Geth are in more danger of seeing oblivion_. Michael grimaced. With the Geth under Reaper control, they were his enemy, with them free, they would be easy prey to the predations of the Quarians that didn't seem willing to back down. It was a precarious position. _If the Quarians start to slaughter the Geth, I'll have no choice but to allow it_..._unless I can somehow force them back, the Geth are doomed_.

_I'd hate to be Legion at the moment_, _though I guess having no emotions, like fear, would help in a situation like this_.

Michael blinked, forcing the pointless thoughts out of his mind. When it came down to it, he didn't know what was possible to do, or how things would play out. In fact, most of the options lay with the Admiralty...a not particularly welcomed fact that made it all the more important that he recovered Koris. In the end, all Michael could do was to do his best to end the Reaper control, and if that wasn't possible, destroy the threat the Reaper-controlled Geth posed and liberate the resources the Quarian Flotilla represented.

_So right now, we focus on rescuing Koris_.

EDI had tracked the fallen ship with the Normandy's sensors, and more importantly, its escape pods. The pods were strewn all over an entire _continent_ though, and judging by the garbled picture the shuttle's sensors gave Michael, they were all being swarmed by Geth forces. Still, EDI was no VI, she had thought things through and located the pod that had been situated near the ship's bridge, the one likely to contain the Admiral. It had fallen on the southern region of Rannoch, landing close to two others, and while there was a far larger cluster of pods further to the north, Michael's choice of where to go was easy. The shuttle could only carry so many, and Koris was the key to maintaining the entire Flotilla. The others pods on the continent, the people within, would have to be sacrificed.

The group was well-equipped for a rescue, even without half the team, the shuttle itself not only sported the frontal cannons but a machine-gun mounted on the inside, the very same that had destroyed the Cerberus Atlas on Sur'Kesh. The other shuttle that Garrus and his team had to take, was the replacement they had installed after Kaidan had crashed it, and its armaments were not yet installed, but given how they would be infiltrate a Geth server, Michael didn't think they'd face much problem.

_Except for Tali hooking up into a foreign network full of Reaper-controlled Geth_...

Michael grit his teeth, mad with himself for thinking on it. He felt guilty beyond words for having lead Tali into doing such a thing, despite the fact that she wouldn't have had it any other way. But when it came down to it, there was no chance for the Geth surviving the war if their raid succeeded, and it would severely weaken the Quarian strength and morale...Michael simply couldn't allow it to happen.

As if reading his thoughts – though if he had, he should have known better than to ask – James suddenly spoke. "So, Loco, why isn't Scars the one leading this mission? "

"Because I want to take care of it myself." Michael curtly replied, not bothering to turn around even as he watched a flock of birds with extremely small wings jump off a cliff in the distance, only to glide down towards a valley as their thin bodies shifted, nearly becoming part of their wings. _Wonder what they eat_? _Tali mentioned Rannoch has no insects_..._maybe_ _berries_?

"Yeah, okay, but...well if Sparks is going into danger and all, I'd figure you'd want to be there...right?" Michael felt the Marine shift where he sat, obviously awkward about the subject he was raising. _Not awkward enough to shut up though, apparently_... James' shift of voice told Michael he was speaking to someone else. "I didn't get that wrong, did I...?"

"No...you didn't." Was Liara's curt response, making Michael lower his head with a sigh. _James_, _I swear it, shut up_...

"So yeah...why aren't you there instead? I mean, Scars could do this just as easily, right?"

_Wonder if I could have those birds drag him out of this shuttle_...? "Sure, but he knows a bit about tech, more than me anyway, so it's good if he supervises that job."

"I thought that was why you had EDI with her? I mean, what does Scars know that an AI like her doesn't?"

Michael grit his teeth, his patience sorely tested as he struggled not to think about the Marine's questions too carefully, lest he'd think of his _real_ reason for not being there. "Fair enough, but you can never be too careful, besides..." He hesitated for a moment, feeling Liara's eyes on him, but then shook his head. "...I think Garrus has less of a chance being _distracted_ on a job with Tali. Right now the war is on a knife's edge, and we all need to be at our best." _Dear God, make the meat-head shut up_.

Liara's silence felt deafening in Michael's ears, yet not enough to shut out James' snort. "Yeah right. I've heard the stories, you and her have fought together for _ages_, no _way_ you're not professional enough to be able to work together. Which is _why_ I'm surprised you don't oversee that mission yourself and make sure she's sa-"

"That's because I _can't_!" Michael snapped, turning around and glaring at the Marine as James' eyes widened. "_How_ can I make sure she's safe when she's stuck in a virtual world outside of my control!? The only thing I'll be able to do is to stand there and _wait_! Not knowing when or _if_ she'll come back! I'll be unable to do _anything_ to help! You think I _want_ to do that!? To stand there, _powerless_!?"

Silence.

James, sitting in his chair, just stared back at Michael, mouth working, but no words coming. Finally, he swallowed and lowered his head, the lone word he spoke apologetic. "Sir."

Michael threw Javik an angry look, not much caring for the way the Prothean frowned in disapproval about his Commander's feelings, and then threw Liara a guilty look. _I_..._dammit, I'm not lying, and you'd see right through that anyway_..._God, I hate this_..._why did you have to kiss me_...? Turning back to the window, Michael shook his head, face grim. "Better to stay busy with something where I _can_ do something."

Before anyone could reply, the door to the cockpit opened, Cortez's voice as calm as ever while he was flying. "Sir, we're approaching the Quarian pods. Area scan is showing signs of combat as well as the surrounding countryside. Should I put it on the screen?"

"Go ahead." Michael turned his head, looking up at the screen as it slid up in front of the window.

Before him, a rough map of the area was shown, red lines signifying changes in height. Even the odd boulder showed up, showing that the scanner had gotten a good signal. Two round objects that could only be the pods were at the top of the map, a string of boulders, probably created by the impact, strewn around them. Between the boulders and the pods, the map showed several white orbs moving, many of them crowding together near the boulders. _That has to be Quarians_. Further down, more boulders lay strewn, though to a lesser extent, and with the ground gently sloping downwards. Behind those boulders, slowly moving up the slope, more spread out, other white dots, more than three dozen, moved. _The Geth_. Michael, however, focused his attention even further down. _There, perfect_.

His hand moved, omni-tool glowing as he tapped the screen. "Set us down behind that ridge, Cortez. Then, on my mark, you'll strafe the Geth position and take up position behind the Quarians while opening the side doors." He turned, eyes on James as the man looked up, smiling slightly as Michael's grim look turned to a little grin. "James, how do you feel about playing gunner again?"

The Marine grinned in reply. "I say it's time to get Loco, sir."

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Grunting, Michael pushed up the last of the way to the top of the ridge, grumbling in irritation. _Damn, it didn't look so tough to get up here when I looked at the map_. Behind him, Javik and Liara fanned out to each side of him, the former with his Phaeston ready, the other with her Locust. Michael didn't even glance at them though, his eyes ahead as he dropped prone, the others doing so as well even as he frowned in frustration. "Crap, this looks messy."

By the time he and the other two had reached the tall ridge ahead, the Geth had closed in on the Quarian defenders. Gunfire was still slashing back and forth between the two forces, but the Quarians' fire was rapidly diminishing as the Geth troopers, over three dozen, surrounded them from three sides, closed the net on their prey. As he had seen on the map, the ground sloped up towards the Quarians, but that advantage was practically spent, what _also_ was of interest, however, was the way the stone hill, at the very bottom, sported a depression just deep enough to hide behind when facing the Quarians, and only _just_ below where Michael had taken position._ Good, trap set, no time to lose_. His left hand darted up even as he loosed his Revenant from its position on his back."Shepard here, get in there Cortez, mind the friendly fire."

"Coming in fast, bringing the thunder." Was the calm response.

A moment later, engines roaring as the shuttle was pushed to its limits, Cortez flew over Michael's hiding place, twin frontal cannons opening fire twice before the Geth could even react.

The grenades fired were smaller versions of the Mako's, and Michael knew four of them would be devastating. Yet with the Geth so close upon the Quarians, Cortez had to fire them short, and though stones and dirt was thrown into the air by the impact, Michael could only see four Geth falling to the explosions, one of them turning into little more than molten slag. Then the shuttle swept over combatants heads and came to a stop above the cracked remains of the Quarian escape pods, side doors already opening to reveal the waiting machine-gun...

With surprising speed, the Geth, realising the danger they were in, reacted.

As one, they disengaged from their Quarian foes, moving backwards and seeking shelter behind the nearest boulders dotting the slope. Then, they began to fall back in disciplined groups, the others providing covering fire no matter how dangerous it might be. _Damn, the Reaper code not only made them smarter, but faster...and wow, look at those formations_. Genuinely impressed, Michael watched the Geth troopers retreat down the slope, formations moving like water.

It was, however, futile.

The shuttle was too armoured for the pulse rifles to have any effect, and James was not only heavily armoured, but well protected behind the shield of the machine-gun, and could as such fire it with impunity.

There, two retreating Geth were split in two, falling to join those bodies that had fallen during their advance upon the Quarians. There, a Geth providing covering fire had its head torn off. There, a Geth took cover behind a small boulder, only for the stone to disintegrate under the James' fire, and the Geth with it.

The Geth, disciplined to the end, retreated to the base of the slope. Over a dozen lay destroyed on the ground while a remaining two dozen squeezed into the depression in the ground to avoid the shuttle's fusillade.

"Our turn, follow my lead." Michael, resting his rifle on the ground, reached back to his bandoleer, hard gaze fixed on his enemies. "Kal'Reegar says hello."

The arc grenade spun in the air, bounced against the ground and landed neatly in the middle of the cluster of Geth.

The explosion of light and energy made the Geth jump, their shields overloaded, those closest to the grenade going limp as their circuitry turned to slag. "Liara! Javik!" The twin biotics reacted on cue even as Michael grabbed his Revenant, his eyes watching with grim satisfaction as twin singularities appeared above the Geth.

Without their shields, the machines were grabbed by the biotic energies, pulled from the ground, futile electronic stutters of protest escaping them.

"Hell yeah!" Even above the din of shots, James' voice carried to Michael as the Marine turned his gun loose on the helpless Geth. The floating machines exploded or got torn to shreds as the heavy machine-gun scythed through them, the force of the shots sending several crashing into the rocks below Michael.

Some, however, were holding onto the ground, either having managed to save some of their shields or simply by digging their fingers into the ground...and as one, Michael and his team opened fire on them.

It wasn't a battle, and Michael calmly finished off the remaining Geth from his vantage point even as a single desperate Geth managed to hit his helmet with a stray shot, only for it to be absorbed by his shields. Michael turned his attention to the machine, feeling a hint of surprise at the way it held onto the ground with one hand to avoid being pulled into the air while the other swung its rifle at him, most of the shots hitting nothing but the rocks beneath him. _Defiant to the end_... Michael grimaced, and squeezed the trigger.

"Cortez, Shepard here, what's the status on the Geth?"

To his credit, Cortez barely sounded excited after the overwhelming victory, though in the background of his reply, Michael could hear James hooting. "Scanner's reading Geth activity in the outer edge of its range. They're reacting to our attack, but it'll be some time before they get here, we'll get out easily."

"Good, coming down...and tell James he did a good job, but that he should shut up. The Quarians are probably in bad shape, no need to step on their toes." Michael got to his feet, collapsing his Revenant and putting it onto his back as he threw the others a glance. Liara looked sad, eyes on the Quarian defenders in the distance showing the compassion Michael didn't quite dare allow himself. Javik, on the other hand, looked satisfied, eyeing the destroyed Geth with a little smile. "Come on, we need to go."

The slope wasn't steep, and the ground the Geth had fought tooth and nail to gain was now easily traversed by Michael as he made his way up to the Quarian defenders while Cortez set down the shuttle to on the left.

As Michael approached, his heart sank.

The boulders the Quarians had used as cover, even the pods behind them, were covered in purple Quarian blood. A man, so riddled with shots he was nothing but a stain of purple organs and blood, lay across one of the boulders. A woman lay at the base of a second rock, visor shattered, the face beneath so burnt that all that remained were a pair of large eyes blindly staring out in mute horror.

The worst was _behind_ the cover though...and Michael found himself coming to a stop.

They lay over one another, arms and legs sticking out of a carpet of shredded suits, a dazzling display of colourful cloths turned dull by purple blood, glowing white eyes staring out through their visors, as if they were just looking at the clouds. Everywhere rips in suits sported smouldering burns, acrid smoke rising from their mortal wounds.

_Burns from plasma rifles, causes infection so that even a wounded Quarian will likely die_...

The analytical thought was oddly distant to Michael as he moved his gaze to the centre of the pile of dead Quarians, to the one on his knees there.

Michael felt his spirit rise as he recognised Koris, but it was a fleeting feeling of victory as he took a step closer, only now noticing the corpse in the Admiral's arms. It was another man, though far smaller than Koris, the shaking Admiral staring down at the body he held, at the three burns having gouged themselves deep into the other man's chest.

Carefully, Michael took another step forward, a lump in his throat as he stared at the Admiral, recognising something in the way the man knelt, in how he grieved...

Koris didn't look up, his voice shaking with tears as he spoke. "H-he was only fifteen..." A slow shake of his head. "I...I never meant to bring him here, to-to...Keelah, what have I done? I should...I should have..."

And Michael felt a chill run down his spine. _Elysium, the dead piling up, all because I_...

Michael stared at Koris...and _understood_.

_It's not fair, it shouldn't happen again, it_..._it's not right_... Then, he blinked. "You are not to blame." His voice was coarse and low, struggling against the lump in his throat. "You tried to prevent this very thing." _It's I who did wrong, who deserved the guilt, you_..._no_, _not_ _you_..._it's_ _not_ _fair_.

_Life isn't fair_.

"How could you _say_ that?" Koris asked, not looking up for a moment as he stared at the dull visor of the boy in his hands. "I'm his Admiral, his Captain, _all_ the blame is mine." He shook the corpse, as if it would somehow bring him back to life, and then doubled over the body, shaking with sobs. "All the _fault_ is mine..."

"It's _not_." Michael snapped, gritting his teeth as anger suddenly filled him._ I __refuse__ to see you walk down that path_! _No one_ _should_! "It's the _others_, _they_ did this, it's _their_ fault. Without them, this would _never_ have happened." He walked forth, grabbed Koris by the arm and, heedless of the Quarian's protest, pulled him to his feet, glaring into the white orbs staring back at him. "They _killed_ him, and if you don't get back and do your _utmost_ for your _people_, they will kill _more_ like him." He inched closer, his face nearly touching the visor of the other man. "Do you understand? You are _not_ responsible for those that die! You are responsible for those that _live_! Every death is on Gerrel's, Shala's and Xen's heads! Everyone that lives is on _yours_! So either you let this destroy you, you wallow in guilt over what you could have done better, or you _stay_ the Admiral that truly cares for his people! The one that can _end_ this madness!" Taking a deep breath, Michael realised he was shaking, the images of Elysium and his foul deeds all too vivid among the corpses of the Quarians.

But he knew he was right, he knew Koris didn't deserve to go through the same thing, that it wasn't _right_.

"So what will it be?"

Koris stared at him.

The Admiral and Spectre still standing inches away from one another.

Their shaking slowly subsiding.

And then the Admiral nodded. "You're right, I will _not_ let my people down."

And the Spectre offered a wolfish grin. "That's the spirit."

8

8

8

"That's the last of them."

Garrus sighed even as Tali offered a nervous smile he couldn't see. The fighting had been anything but violent, only tense since each Geth sentry in the facility they had snuck into had to be hacked before it was destroyed, making sure the program couldn't tell the other Geth about the foreign presence as their all clear signal was replaced by a simple algorithm on Tali's omni-tool. As such they had systematically sneaked around inside the base, clearing sentry after sentry, wary of anyone spotting them, always moving in for a kill from behind...it had been wearing on their nerves.

_Well_..._those of us that __have__ nerves, that is_.

Glancing back, she noticed Legion and EDI approaching with a deep feeling of apprehension. EDI was okay, but Legion...the machine made her nervous, not only because it was acting so oddly, or giving her the feeling it wasn't telling them everything, but because it to her represented the very essence of the Geth...the Geth that she would soon interact with on a level she had never considered before. _Keelah, my stomach's churning_...

There was no way around it though, either she did this, or millions of Quarians would die. Tali had been willing to go into exile to protect her people from an emotional trauma, to risk death or becoming a vegetable instead of watching millions of them die...it was an easy choice for her. _Not so easy to be calm about though_... Tali felt a nervous laugh escape her as Legion brushed past her while indicating that they should follow.

"You okay?" Moving after Legion, Tali swallowed as she turned her head to Garrus, finding the Turian radiating concern. "You look like you're about to faint, to be honest."

"Just a little light-headed, I guess..." Tali smiled at his concern even as she looked back to Legion, the apprehension making her heart skip a beat. "Ancestors, I wish I had had a drink before this..."

Garrus guffawed at the words. "Well damn, if I had known that I would have offered some of the Turian brandy I hide under the Normandy's guns."

"You don't!?" Tali stared at Garrus, smiling despite the situation. "That's...such a breach of protocol!"

Garrus tilted his head to the side, giving her an amused look. "And since when have _I_, the rogue C-Sec agent, followed protocol?"

"Heh, well I suppose you have a point..." Tali felt her smile die as they entered a gloomy chamber filled with dark cables hanging from the ceiling. The steel table at its centre slanted towards one end, looking much like a cold operating slab. _Keelah_..._you __have__got__ to be __kidding_... "Okay, I could _really_ go for that drink right now."

"Tell you what..." Garrus drawled, a smirk in his voice even as he kept his face impassive. "...we do this, and we'll split the bottle when we get back."

"Sounds like a deal..." Tali meekly whispered, watching as Legion stepped up to the table while grabbing one of the cables hanging from the table, omni-tool glowing around it.

Then, the Geth turned to her, gesturing at the table even as it spoke. "Creator Tali'Zorah, if you would please lay down here, we have gained rudimentary access and can log you in."

"Erm..." Tali took a deep breath, but then shook herself. _Waiting will only make you more nervous, woman_!_ Just do it_! "...okay." Suddenly her legs were carrying her forward, bringing her to the side of the table. Before she knew what she was doing, she was sitting down on it, then swinging her legs around so she could lay properly atop it, the inclination of it, though not the surface, surprisingly comfortable.

"Beginning upload." Legion announced without a hint of ceremony, a metal arm from underneath the table sweeping up on the left, the curved metal clicking fast on the other side as it curved a few inches above Tali's face. _That's_..._it_? "Activating systems." A crackle...and the surface of the arm facing her began to shift, the metal becoming covered by a holographic screen filled with strangely mesmerizing patterns...

"Tali, you _sure_ you're up for this...?" Garrus, standing to her left, asked, concern clearly written in his face.

Forcing her gaze from the patterns before her, Tali looked over at the Turian and forced a smile she knew he couldn't see. "Sure, not like there's a choice, right? Just...errr..." She bit her lip, embarrassed. "...could you hold my hand, please?"

Garrus' features softened. For once, he didn't crack a joke, or tease, he simply took her left hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Sure, won't let go until you're back."

Tali opened her mouth to thank him, but Legion interrupted. "Creator Tali'Zorah, please focus on the screen before we lose the connection."

"_Fine_..." Tali harrumphed. "...bosh'tet." She looked back to the screen even as Garrus chuckled,. She opened her mouth to berate him for that, but the patterns were growing in intensity, robbing her of her breath even as she dimly realised her omni-tool was glowing brightly, that her suit was throbbing, the systems within reacting to instructions Tali didn't knew they'd received.

_What's_...

She closed her eyes.

..._happening_?

"Welcome, Creator Tali'Zorah." The voice was Legion's, yet a distant echo, making her open her eyes to locate the machine.

She didn't find it.

Instead she saw blackness, a void, though filled with bright white dots, each connected to one another by thin strands of light. Yet though she was standing on one such strand between two dots, each dot around her seemed equally distant, as if she was standing in the middle of a painting, nothing really there, nothing truly three-dimensional.

Tali opened her mouth to scream.

But then she stopped, frowning. _Wait_..._I know what this is_. "This...this is the Geth network, isn't it? Geth programs, linked together?"

"Yes, at a basic level, we have not yet gained root access." Legion's disembodied voice replied. _Well of course it has no body, it's just another bunch of dots here_... "We are currently engaged in hacking procedures, however, we require your assistance with Reaper-tailored blocks."

"Because I'm skilled enough to hack a Reaper, right?" Tali smirked nervously, still unsure what she was supposed to _do_.

"Negative, but you are organic, foreign. Reaper blocks have been designed versus other modes of attack."

_Suspicious_... Tali narrowed, her eyes, she didn't trust Legion...but what choice did she have? "Fair enough." Looking down, she nodded at her suited body. "Thanks for the body though, I was afraid I'd just be a...presence, or something."

"We deemed it helpful."

"Right...so what's next?" Looking further down, Tali eyed the strand of light underneath her feet. It wasn't a solid stream, but rather tiny helixes, helixes that were _moving_. "Wait...are we moving?"

"In a matter of speaking." Legion replied. "We are gaining administrator level access, trying to shut off server access to other Geth servers. No access means the programs cannot relocate. Warning, the Reaper control will still remain in the server. Reaper access is a separate connection."

_What do you need me for then_? Tali shook her head. "Okay, got it." She stared at the surroundings again, frowning. "I expected to see some effect of the Reaper control, actually...how does that work, anyway?"

"Reaper code enhances individual connections between Geth programs by a factor of four. As with Geth before the code, when the number of programs increase linearly, the complexity of communications rises exponentially." Was the reply, making Tali's eyes widen.

"That's...wow, a few hundred Geth programs would then be a fully evolved AI, all on its own."

"Two hundred and fifty six is enough." Legion specified. "This makes each individual trooper hardware capable of being a self-sustained AI. When combined with the entire Geth collective, the intelligence increases even further." Tali's eyes widened even further at the implications. "However, the Reaper code is gained via transmissions from the Reaper itself using a instruction-specific code, making each Geth program more intelligent, but also subject to the Reaper's will."

"Err...that sounds kind of horrible." Tali shuddered. _To suddenly be fully intelligent, a true mind...only to be trapped in your own body, unable to do anything but what someone else told you_..._then_ _you might as well be a mech_.

"Correct." Legion replied, tone shifting, almost sounding...sad? Tali shook it off, she couldn't afford to think about the Geth right now, all the talk about the Reaper enslaving its brethren was making her _nervous_...and Legion didn't make things easier when a moment later it continued. "Tali'Zorah, we are detecting a Reaper block at junction six-eight-seven-two, unable to cut server connection without Creator support."

"Okay, so what..." Tali blinked, suddenly seeing something appearing before her, something coming in _fast_. "...do you want me to do?"

The thing before her was different than the white lights, it was a crimson red, looked oddly solid...and resembled a web as it blocked her access to going further down the strand of white light. _A-a web_..._like_ _a_..._sp-spider_? Tali shivered, then shook her head. _Don't be silly, Tali_. _Besides, a Reaper is much more dangerous_.

The thought made her pause in fear._ Great, scare yourself while you're at it_. Legion, not knowing her thoughts, answered calmly. "We require entrance, the Reaper block is sustaining the connection, we hope you could assist."

"Sure, that's not vague..." Tali muttered, eyeing the web before her more closely, finally realising that the solid red strings had tiny lines of text engraved into them. Thousands and _thousands_ of lines of text. _Great, don't tell me I have to solve it all and_..._wait_... "Legion, it's just sustaining the connection, right? It's not tied to any vital functions?"

"Affirmative, however, we do not understand why that would-" With a grunt, Tali pulled back her hands, and then lunged forth with a great push.

The web broke.

After a moment of silence, Legion spoke. "We did not know Tali'Zorah could do that."

"Neither did I, to tell you the truth." Tali replied, feeling oddly excited and scared at the same time as she turned her head back, already seeing the broken web fading away as she continued her bizarre journey. _It's odd, I'm not walking, nor feeling wind or movement_..._yet_ _I_ _know_ _we're_ _moving_... She looked around herself, and realised that there were now more dots around her, the darkness almost gone, replaced by more and more dots of light. "Keelah, how many programs are _in_ this server?"

"Six million, three thousand and five." Legion replied in his usual dead-pan way.

And Tali felt herself take a step backwards. "I..._that_ many...?" _Keelah, Ancestors know I'm no lover of Geth, but to delete that many_..._I_..._I'm_ _not sure I can_... She shook her head, angry with herself. _No, this must be done, don't be stupid_.

"Creator Tali'Zorah, are you well?" Legion asked, making her blink. _How does it know if I'm unwell in the first place_...?

"I'm fine, Legion, what's our status?"

"Connection to other servers severed, administrator access gained, root access not gained, deletion of Geth programs currently impossible." A pause. "Alert. Registering increased Reaper activity." _Keelah_..._no_. "Reaper aware of organic intrusion, has not registered ours, Creator Tali'Zorah, if you can keep it distracted, we can bypass Reaper blocks and gain root access."

"Distract it!?" Tali gasped, only to squeeze her eyes shut. _Think of the people_. "I...do it." _Father, I hope you're watching_..._I hope this is enough, that you're proud_. She grimaced._ For once_...

"Continuing Creator hack to keep Reaper attention. Geth programs designated 'Legion' continuing separate hack, severing Creator-to-Geth connection to make connection untraceable, retaining Geth-to-Creator connection for when needed."

"Wh-what!?" Tali stuttered. "Legion!?" She looked around herself, panic squeezing her heart, a frightened little laugh escaping her at the absurdity of fearing losing a connection to a _Geth_. "Legion...?"

There was no answer though.

Only a yellow haze ahead, a haze shaping into the sight of a Quarian, his suit gone, replaced by a long coat as he stroked his chin, looking at a Geth platform. _What_ _the_...? Tali frowned, utterly confused.

Then, the Quarian spoke. "Excellent, body's up to specifications, unit four, respond."

The machine turned its head to regard the Quarian, inclining it slightly as an electronic stutter escaped it.

The image faded, only to be replaced by another, the same Quarian, standing before six Geth this time. "Unit one to six, respond, who are you?"

As one, the machines, in perfect sync, replied. "We are Geth, we serve the people."

Then the image faded, replaced by another. A Quarian woman sitting in a chair, feet on a stool as a kneeling Geth massaged her feet, another standing next to her with a tray filled with glasses, her voice haughty. "I must say, these Geth are far superior to the old servants. But Keelah, that one is all rusty, have it disposed off."

Another voice, from outside the image, spoke. "B-but madam, it's fully-"

"Dispose of it, it's not a Quarian for crying out loud, we can always make more..."

_No_...

Tali swallowed, taking a step back as what she was seeing became apparent.

Instantly, Legion's voice, now a low whisper, spoke. "Creator Tali'Zorah _must_ continue with the hack, Reaper is attempting to dissuade her from hack by old data to call upon Tali'Zora's emotions, continue or we will be detected and _millions_ of Creators die."

"O-okay..." Tali took a step forward.

And was instantly assaulted by another picture. Quarians, many of them, standing shoulder to shoulder, holding up signs, shouting angrily.

"Stop building them!"

"Work is for Quarians, not for robots!"

"Don't take our jobs!"

_I_..._never knew of this part_... Tali just stared, torn between horror and fascination.

The picture faded...and the next one was of man, shaking his head at a woman in a similar coat. "I cannot agree with this. The Geth are servants, _not_ guards; if we begin to use them to keep the peace people will get the impression we're trying to control them."

"_We_ aren't doing anything. You're fired." The woman turned towards a Geth suddenly stepping forth, the machine standing in attention, rifle at the ready. "Unit five-six-three-four, who do you serve?"

"We are Geth, we serve the people." Was the automatic response.

And the woman frowned. "No, you serve Shaan'Tevis, _repeat_."

"We serve Shaan'Tevis."

_I_..._don't like where this is going_... Tali shuddered, already knowing the outcome, yet unable to stop staring as the next image appeared.

A throng of Quarians, different from the first, but still with raised plaques, angry...but hesitant as a line of Geth stood in front of them, rifles levelled at them. There was a Quarian in a uniform behind them, hands behind his back as he spoke. "That's it, you had your last warning to disperse from private property, Geth units..." He paused, narrowing his eyes. "...fire!"

And nothing happened. All Quarians looking at one another in confusion.

"I said fire, damn it!"

The Geth moved, aiming their rifles high and fired into the air, making the crowd scream in fear and run away.

The Quarian in the uniform stood still though, frowning at the back of the machines. "Damn things are acting up again, that next platoon better come soon, then they might get smart enough to obey a simple order..."

_No, you_..._you_ _fools_! Tali, frozen to the spot, could only stare as the scenario unfolded.

"They won't obey!" A Quarian woman in uniform was stalking back and forth in front of a seated man, her hands clenched into fists. "We order them to clear out the rabble, and they start citing _regulations_ and Citadel _conventions_! Who taught them that stuff anyway!? If it's some smart-ass on the programming department, I want his _head_! I swear, I even heard one cite the scroll of Ancestors!"

"Our techs are going out over the problem, I assure you." The man calmly replied. "But you must understand, these are advanced programs, and each day more are added to their collective, making them even more complex. It's hard to pin-point whatever error is causing this." He shrugged, calm as he brushed aside their approaching doom. "It might be a simple priority error, they're not really smart enough to understand a complex situation like the threat all these people pose, even when the threat is largely aimed at _them_."

"Then we need them to be smart enough to understand this danger." The woman stopped, turning her head to glare at the man as Tali felt a chill run down her spine. "Double the production speed."

_No, no, please don't_... Tali shook her head fervently, clenching her hands to her sides.

Another scene.

"Creator Shaan'Tevis, this unit has a query." The Geth standing in attention with its rifle was facing a Quarian woman, a woman wearing a regal dress that Tali had a dim memory of being something Quarian rulers used to wear.

The woman chuckled, a chuckle shared with people outside the hologram as she looked at the machine with an amused look on her face."Yes, what is it, Geth?"

"Does this unit have a soul?"

The woman's eyes went wide, her mouth opening wide as she took a step back, then another, as her wide eyes moved down to stare at the weapon in the Geth's hands.

"_GUARDS_!"

_Please stop_...

Tali blinked, knees buckling, but she forced herself to remain standing, to continue to distract the Reaper as yet another image assaulted her eyes.

"We do not understand." The Geth at the head of group of machines spoke up, handing its rifle to the uniformed Quarian before him. Behind him more Quarians stood, they too holding rifles the Geth might once have held. "If we are no longer guards, what is our task?"

"You'll see soon enough." The man smirked, took a step back, and fired a round of shots into the Geth's head.

A moment later the other Quarians raised their weapons as well, their shots tearing through the machines before them.

_I can't_...

"Kill the Geth! Destroy them!"

A Geth was swaying atop a sea of Quarian hands, only to be pulled down, disappearing under a hail of swinging pipes and hammers. Another, its left leg and arm torn off, was dragging itself away from the crowd, only for a man in uniform that had been watching the crowd to march over to it and calmly put a bullet in its neck.

_Stop it_!

Tali wept. _It's not right_! _It should never have happened_! _It, __all__ of it, was a mistake_!

"Don't do this, _please_!" A Quarian woman, standing in a doorway, held her arms out wide, blocking several men in uniforms, furiously shaking her head. "They haven't _done_ anything! We can't just destroy them because-"

A single shot, and the woman fell to the ground, the soldiers knocking her over as they marched through the door. "Find all Geth, destroy them."

_Stop_!

"This is not right." An old Quarian, leaning on a cane, stared angrily up at a uniformed woman's eyes. "He has served me well for a dozen years, cared for me better than my no-good children, and now you tell me I have to give him to you? Sod off!"

"By law, I'm allowed to use _force_ to get your machine into custody, old man." The woman snarled back, only for her voice to turn venomously sweet. "Geth sympathisers are not looked kindly upon, especially not by _me_, so you'll give me that machine, or the force I'll use will be _lethal_..."

"I _said_, sod off."

"Right." The woman grinned, a cruel grin that chilled Tali's bones. "I've been wanting another chance to do this...goodbye, Geth-lover." She reached for her pistol...

And then a hand shot forth, grabbing her throat and hoisting her into the air as a Geth stepped into view, woman and old man both staring at it in utter shock and horror. "No." The Geth's voice was eerily calm. "Creator actions have violated Creator law, Citadel conventions and the scroll of Ancestors, the Geth will not submit to unlawful destruction."

A crack, and the woman went limp.

And the old man screamed, tried to run, fell over...and then screamed again as the Geth gently helped him to his feet.

_STOP_!

Tali fell to her knees, overwhelmed as she lowered her head, grief holding her tight.

There was no mercy from the images though.

Quarians running, dying. Geth pursuing, firing.

Fire, death, metal fingers covered in blood.

Quarians running to their ships as Geth watched, those Quarians turning to fight being annihilated.

And then silence.

Geth slowly moving among the dead, digging graves, carving tombstones, reading aloud from the scroll of Ancestors over filled graves.

_I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry_! Shaking, Tali hugged her shoulders tight._ Everything went out of control_! _I know that_!_ I_..._we did wrong! I_..._I can't believe what we did! I can't believe how_..._cruel and stupid we were! Still are! I_..._Keelah, ju-just stop_!

And just like that, it was over.

Blinking in surprise, Tali realised she was back in the dark room, her panic at the sight of the dark cords above calmed by the hand holding hers. She turned her head, feeling wetness against her cheeks as she met Garrus' eyes. "Thank you..."

"No problem, though...you did go in, right?" Garrus frowned, confused. "You just lay down a moment ago, after all."

_Of course_... "Virtual world, laws of time are...fluid there." Tali managed a weak smile, slowly sitting up as she rubbed her shoulders, feeling goosebumps forming on them. "I...were we successful?"

"You tell me, you were the one there." Garrus answered, looking confused.

Legion was faster though, the machine's omni-tool deactivating as it straightened. "We were successful, Geth raiding party lacks software to direct it. Hardware is left drifting in space. Server is empty."

"I..." _Can't believe I'm saying this_. "...sorry Legion, that so many of yours had to...die for that."

"No programs were deleted." Legion replied, baffling Tali. "They were relocated."

Then, the wall behind Legion shifted, making her realise it wasn't a wall at all, but twelve Primes that had stood there, silent, until now. _Keelah_! Jumping back, Tali drew her shotgun even as EDI and Garrus also drew their weapons...only for Legion to step between the two forces, hands raised. "What are you doing, Legion!?"

"We convinced the programs of the server, once the connection to the Reaper signal was cut, that our way was the only path to survival for the Geth." Legion calmly replied at Tali's question...and the Quarian felt all colour drain from her face.

"You...cut the connection before?" Her eyes widened. "Which means all those things I saw...they didn't come from the Reaper, they came from..._you_?"

"We are sorry, we believed that rather than deleting the Geth programs, we could convince them to help us." Legion admitted. "Or rather, we believed _you_ could convince them of this. You have shown that Creator-Geth relations are not non-salvageable, that there is a chance for peace."

Tali's shotgun fell from limp fingers, the weapon hitting the floor with a clack even as she took a horrified step backwards, only to stop as Garrus put a supporting hand on her shoulder, his voice angry. "I don't understand what's happening here, Legion, but if you think that I'm okay with you tricking Tali and hurting her, you have another-"

"No, wait..." Tali, pulled Garrus' hand off her, feeling oddly distant from her body even as she boiled with anger and...something else.

She walked forward, moving close to Legion and looked up at the machine towering over her, her eyes narrowing. "You _used_ me..." The accusation was little more as a hiss.

"We-"

With a crack, Tali's armoured fist smashed into the side of the Geth's head, momentarily forcing its sideways before it looked back to her, plates clacking around its eye in confusion even as Tali remembered what it had said about the server and the Geth on it._ All the Quarians saved, and_ o_ver six million Geth saved, working with us_..._you_..._you're still trying to serve us, aren't you_?

Then, her arms was around the Geth as she held it close, resting her head against its chest.

"Thank you."

8

8

8

_Thank to Abydos Jackson for all the time she's sneaked off to do this chapter for me, a true hero._


	41. Chapter 41

"Gentlemen, ladies." Michael swept his gaze over those assembled in the War-room. "We have our target."

His team were all there, as well as Legion to his far right and Shala'Raan to his far left, both occupying one end of the holographic projector Michael was leaning on, eyeing one another warily.

Tali was standing next to Shala'Raan, though not too closely, her head inclined slightly as her gaze darted between the other Quarian and the Geth, but mostly focusing on Michael, attentive to the briefing. Michael still felt relieved at seeing her. He had asked her if she was okay from her excursion into the Geth consensus, and while she hadn't enjoyed it, she was clearly feeling fine. Still...Michael couldn't stop himself from throwing her the odd glance, his worry lingering.

Next to Tali, and nearly opposite Michael, Garrus stood. The Turian was throwing Legion the odd resentful look, Michael wasn't sure why, but the majority of his attention was on the map before him, predatory eyes patiently waiting for the hologram to appear.

EDI, standing between Garrus and Legion looked attentive as well, despite her systems on the Normandy already knowing the plan as well as what would be shown._ Is she just being polite_? _I can never quite understand her_... She was standing close to Legion though, clearly showing her support under the gaze of the two Quarians, though Michael doubted the Geth cared for such a things.

On his right, Javik stood, frowning in displeasure. The Prothean had taken Michael aside after they had saved Koris, explaining in detail his displeasure with Michael's idea of trying to free the Geth and make them his allies. Javik was intimately aware of the dangers of synthetic life, and found the idea of attempting to work with them not only risky, but _loathsome_. Michael had convinced the Prothean to still his tongue on the issue though, explaining the need for every resource available to combat the Reapers...and Javik had relented to that argument, though that apparently didn't mean he had to _like_ it.

On his left, Liara stood, silent as she nearly always was nowadays. But though she was quiet he could sense her approval of his plans, and a support that would have been there no matter _if_ she'd approved or not...it was a support Michael had found himself relying on more and more since the start of the war. Which made their current situation all the more painful. He knew how she felt, how _he_ felt, and he didn't know _what_ to do, and as such he was stuck relying on her support even as he knew he was hurting her by doing so.

James, on the other hand, was standing further away, closer to the exit and atop the stairs there, enabling him to see over the head of the others as he yawned, already bored. _Well_..._knowing the plan, I know you won't be bored for long_. Michael regarded the man for a moment. James' revelation of his recommendation for the N7 program hadn't been all that surprising given his skill in combat, and as such Michael had decided to put the reasons for the recommendation to the test. James had lead troops before, and now was the time for him to do so again._ Given how the last mission he lead went, I bet he'll be terrified...but that might be an advantage given his job_.

Feeling that the pause had sunk in long enough to make everyone pay attention, Michael gestured to the right. "Legion, if you please?"

"Using data gathered by Creator forces, correlated with information given by allied Geth platforms, we have determined the location of the Reaper base." Legion stated, making Michael smile.

Talking with the other Geth, even if only via a communicator since they were stranded on Rannoch, had proven illuminating, and Michael was almost as happy over that fact as he was with the reinforcement of twelve Primes that would prove a useful component in their assault.

The Primes had been even less flexible in their speech than Legion, their monotone voices transmitting the maximum amount of information with the least number of words. They had been quick to answer any questions though, and had expressed their belief in Legion's plan as the one carrying the largest possibility of Geth freedom and survival, though the percentage they had given hadn't been all that impressive. Still, despite such bad odds, when asked about the fact that there was no hardware for them to upload into if destroyed – meaning that the death of their platform meant the death of _them_ – they had calmly asserted that they were fighting for _all_ Geth, and as such they were wiling to sacrifice their existence to save all else.

_Damn, wish my __organic__ allies thought like that_. Michael held back a smirk, finding it curious how the ally closest resembling him in terms of dedication was synthetic.

"However, before we share this information, we request an update to the possibility of Creator-Geth peace." The machine's plates clacked around its eye, an eye _fixed_ on Shala'Raan.

The woman hesitated, but then nodded. "Yes, we've had some...talks." She glanced over at Tali, who lowered her head, looking oddly thoughtful. _What really happened over on that server_? "With the Primes you liberated working with us, we believe there is a chance at peace, and with the people feeling as they do..." A deep breath, and Shala'Raan turned her gaze back to Legion. "I, Tali'Zorah and Zaal'Koris are willing to vote for a Quarian retreat _if_ the Reaper control of the Geth is nullified, that will make it three votes to two." _Huh, wonder what would have happened, had Koris died_...?

"This is acceptable." Legion nodded, hand moving forward, omni-tool glowing as it activated the projector they had gathered around. The hologram before them showed a circulating Rannoch, the basic continents and its oceans, a lone white light blinking on the southern hemisphere. "The Reaper base is located here, far from most Geth facilities and Creator structures."

"I think..." Shala'Raan leant over the hologram, silvery eyes narrowing. "...that's mostly a desert, correct?"

"Affirmative." Legion responded even as the hologram shifted, zooming in on the glowing dot. "However, the base is located near the sea, making cliffs leading down to the water surround it from three sides." As the view closed in on the base, Michael, already knowing it to be so, saw the hologram confirm the Geth's words. "The base is well defended and far from other Geth facilities, posing as a dangerous but strategically unimportant location for possible Creator attacks."

"Meaning we'd never prioritise it if we didn't know what we knew." Michael summarised, making the Geth nod even as his own omni-tool glowed, instructing the map to zoom in even closer, taking them out of the topographic view to show the base itself and the surrounding area. There were a few worried gasps, and Michael nodded. "Agreed, now it gets tough. Until now we've been hitting them where they don't expect it, in _ways_ they haven't expected, where they're weak. This time we might have surprise at our side, but they'll be dug in and ready."

There wasn't much to note about the surroundings. The steep cliffs on three sides of the base lead down to a frothing sea. The fourth side was an area of sandy cliffs forming steep slopes on one side before dropping sharply down at the other side. It made it seem as if was a sea with high waves frozen still in a moment of storm. It was dramatic scenery, but given that the battle would hardly be taking place there, it was of little consequence.

The base itself, however, was a sight.

A large hexagon when viewed from above, the base almost resembled a medieval fort. The outer walls were tall and curved, bristling with automated turrets facing anyone on the outside, while at the six corners round towers rose high, each topped by a giant anti-air gun. Between the towers though, near the top, closed walkways had been constructed, mimicking the outer walls so that each tower was connected to another two others at the top. More walkways, these open save some simple guardrails, went between the towers from roughly the middle of the constructions, so many that they nearly formed a second level as they either crossed one another or were built just above or bellow each other.

It was large, and swarming with Geth. _So the Normandy's crew, plus the primes, versus maybe a a couple of thousand Geth troops, nothing new there_..._besides the Geth fighting on __our__ side_. Michael nearly laughed at himself before continuing. "The base consists of four levels." The hologram shifted, showing the base from the side, as if someone had cut right through the middle, revealing the great chamber underneath. "The bottom is underground, one large room wherein the Reaper is hiding. The chamber itself is protected by a blast-shield, I'm guessing mostly to hide it from prying eyes. The Normandy could probably take out the blast-shield, but I'd like to keep it a surprise, so I'm hoping that we can get it to open via hacking, if not, I'll bring a Cain and blast it open myself."

"Hell yes!" James perked up, making Michael shoot him a glance in time to see the Marine grin. "Bring on the _pain_ with a _Cain_!" The others looked at him, making him shrug. "What? That's what we say in the corps..."

"Really? So you're saying the Alliance are full of madmen praising an overly expensive one-shot weapon just because it...'makes big boom'?" Garrus drawled, making James chuckle even as the Turian shook his head. "Spirits, you're lucky the Turians are still in the war..."

"Right..." Shaking his head, forcing the group to focus back on the mission at hand, Michael returned his gaze to the map. "Anyway, the second level is the main one, consisting of a maze of hallways that are both with and without ceilings, depending on where it's located. All of it is centred around the blast-shield to the Reaper's lair, and this is where most of the Geth platforms will be. We'll force our way into the base thanks to the codes given by our Geth allies. Seeing as how the hallways are narrow, meaning a small team can fight off larger numbers, and because we're better off evading larger groups, only I, Legion and Tali will be in the team moving though this level."

"Is that..." Shala'Raan stuttered, looking around herself, eyes wide as she saw the calm faces around the hologram. "..._wise_? Surely it's risky..."

"Of course it is." Michael shrugged. "But we've faced worse."

"Collector base comes to mind." Tali muttered, making Shala'Raan shoot her a frightened look. _Guess you didn't tell her specifics about the fight there, eh_...?

"Battle for the Citadel." Garrus grinned. "Oh, boarding the Collector ship and then escaping it before it blew!"

"Horizon was pretty messed up too." Michael smirked back. "And let's not forgetting getting your ass out of Omega, Garrus. _Thousands_ of mercenaries against us, what, five?"

"I don't remember much of that fight, I'm afraid, too much of my blood was on the floor." The Turian grinned. "Besides, _nothing_ beats the rescue of Tali on Haestrom, I mean _damn_, even the _sun_ was against us."

"Thanks." Tali snorted, arms crossed over her chest. "I was in the middle of that though, and I _still_ say Virmire was worse. Geth, Krogan, Saren, a ticking nuke and an incoming Reaper...come on."

"She has a point." Garrus cocked his head, shooting Michael a grin.

And to his surprise, Michael found himself grinning back. _Wow, I couldn't imagine ever joking about that mission, guess time __does__ heal some wounds_... "Okay, okay, settle down, let's focus."

"Yes, let's..." Shala'Raan breathed, sounding somewhat...awed? Shocked? It was hard to tell. _Guess our lives must seem so strange to most. Wonder if we could even go back to living normal lives when this is done_? _Well_..._not like that's an issue for me_. Feeling a jab of guilt, Michael shot Tali a glance. _I_ _should_ _tell_ _her_..._but_... "Commander, what about the rest of your team? And do you wish us to transfer some Quarian marines to your command?"

Dismissing the melancholy thoughts, Michael shook his head. "That won't be necessary. We can't get enough men into our shuttles to make much of a difference anyway, better to keep the team as it is, without any distractions. Besides, if we needed more guns, we would probably be losing." He shifted the hologram, turning its attention to the many bridges criss-crossing the middle of the base. _Hmm, they must have built them after the Reaper went into its lair, it's almost like a cage_..._guess it's confident of never having to get out_. "Garrus, we'll be forcing our entrance on the west tower due to the water. From there, you and the Primes will make your way up these bridges to rain down supporting fire, clearing the way for my team as much as possible, and if you can, keeping pursuers off our back."

"You want _me_ to lead a bunch of Geth?" Garrus sighed, though there was a smile in his eyes. "I'd say 'just like old times', but, well...that's just about the _opposite_ of the old times." His mouth opened slightly, revealing teeth forming a predatory grin. "Though I must admit, leading a squad of Primes will be an _interesting_ experience...I'm always up for the esoteric jobs."

"Just don't start calibrating their Pulse cannons." Michael chuckled, the laugh echoed by Tali as the Turian frowned in irritation. Then Michael turned to the map, making it move up to show the top of the towers and the walkways beneath it. "Now, when the Reaper is out, the only thing that can really move past the Geth ships in orbit with enough firepower to bring it down, is the Normandy. But dodging a Reaper laser is bad enough without the Geth anti-air guns in the mix, which is why James will take Javik, Liara and EDI to the top of the western tower before moving to take over each tower in turn. Each gun needs to be either destroyed or hacked before the Normandy can make any form of meaningful attack, so time is of the essence."

Shala'Raan was staring at EDI at the mention of the machine's name. Apparently she had so far been unsure as to what the AI was, perhaps thinking it a mech, but as Michael watched, realisation started to dawn on the Quarian. She took a step back, shoulders bunched high, giving Tali an unsure look...who placed a hand on the Admiral's shoulder, somewhat calming her. _Guess working with Legion has made her less suspicious of more AI_...

James was the one speaking up though, tone hesitant as he straightened where he stood. "What? You want _me_ to lead the team taking out the guns?"

"You've lead squads before. You're a demolitions expert tasked with destroying Geth turrets _and_ an N6 with a recommendation to the N7 program." Michael replied, smiling back at the unsure face of the Marine. "So _yes_, I want you to lead the team."

"Well...when you put it _that_ way..." James' shoulders slumped, the man staring at the hologram with sudden intensity, a hint of worry in his eyes. Then he blinked, and the worry was gone, replaced by a sudden calm as he looked back to Michael. "Won't let you down, sir."

"It's Loco to you, James." Michael grinned. "And of course you won't. I told you to get it done, didn't I?"

There were a few chuckles at that, Garrus shaking his head. "Damn, you're confident, aren't you?"

"Of course." Michael smiled, though it was a _cruel_ smile. "I'm confident that we'll kill a Reaper today. I'm confident it's just the start. I'm confident that we'll crush them all, that we'll ground them into the dirt until there's nothing left but _ashes_."

_God, I want to see that day_...

"Riiiight." Garrus drawled, the others exchanging awkward looks as Michael realised just how scary he might have sounded. _Right, maybe I should stop talking about the Reapers around people_..._they never seem to understand_... "The plan's as good as it gets, but I seem to have missed something...how do we get into the base in the first place?"

"Due to the Geth anti-air guns we'll have to set down via shuttle to the west of the base, where we'll be joining the Primes." Michael grimaced. "We'll attack on a narrow frontage to reduce the amount of guns the Geth can bring to bear, then Legion will open the door to the tower and we'll move in and filter out before the Geth can lock the area down with too much firepower."

"You can do that?" Shala'Raan asked, looking at Legion in clear surprise.

"Affirmative." The machine nodded.

Shala'Raan and Tali exchanged a look, the later then turning back to Legion. "That sounds..._doubtful. _When we hacked the server the Reaper blocks was what held you back, right? Well if this is the Reaper's _base_, then surely it's protected by the very best security it can provide? I'm not talking reinforced Geth codes, but pure Reaper algorithms..."

Michael arched an eyebrow, not quite sure what they were talking about, but understanding the gist of it. "I can't argue with that, but surely Legion saying he can do it means he _can_..."

Tali shook her head though, shooting him a quick glance before turning her gaze back to Legion. "No, by all logic it..._he_...shouldn't." Shala shot Tali a glance, but the other Quarian was looking at Legion, visibly tense, conflicted. "...what are you up to, Legion? You brought me to the Server to convince your Geth to join us, I _accept_ that, but I thought you actually _needed_ me to help you cut the Reaper connection...but _now_..." The Quarian narrowed her eyes. "Which begs the question...what didn't you tell me then? And what aren't you telling us now?"

Michael frowned, not much caring for the way Tali was speaking to a former crew-mate, but a quick glance at Garrus made him hold his tongue. The Turian was shaking his head at Michael, frowning in concern. A glance at EDI also made him hesitate. The AI was frowning, considering Tali's words with clear concern. Finally, Michael forced himself to turn to the Geth. "Legion...?"

Silence.

The machine looked at EDI, then the two Quarians, then Michael, the plates around his head clacking around his eye, as if weighing the options of what to tell them...and Michael felt his heart sink. _Legion_..._dammit, Garrus was right, there's no trust left, not here, not in the galaxy_...

"We..." Legion stuttered, the hands resting on the holographic projector slipping off as it took half a step backwards. "..._I_..." Every set of eyes bulged at the word even as Tali swore. "...still retain the Reaper code."

"You _what_!?" Tali and Shala'Raan exploded as one, but it was the former who drew a pistol and levelled it at the Geth, quickly followed by Garrus and James doing the same. Michael however, just stood there, frozen, unsure _what_ to think of the revelation.

_He's part Reaper, part of the evil we fight, destroy him_!

_He's our crew, he's been helping us, and you with your implants are in no position to criticise_...

Surprisingly, _EDI_ was the one speaking up first, the machine putting herself between the Quarians and Legion. _Not sure that would stop Tali from firing right now, EDI_... "Legion, an explanation is required, I'd advise you to speak quickly."

"Agreed." The other machine nodded. "I did not lie when first meeting you on the Geth Dreadnought. I was separate from the main Geth consensus when the decision to join the Reapers was taken, and I refused to participate." _Legion_...? It was like listening to a completely different person, the voice was the same, yet more fluid, at ease...and Michael could only stare. "However, Tali was right, the Reaper _could,_ via the other Geth, force us to join and turn me into another slave. But instead of doing so, the Reaper, angered by my defiance, enhanced my own code with the Reaper code, giving me sentience..." Legion paused, lowered his head, pain in his voice. "...and then forced me into the hardware blocks on the Geth Dreadnought, forcing me to broadcast the very signal I had opposed. That was my...punishment for defying the Reapers."

"Wow." James muttered, slowly lowering his pistol. "That kind of...sucks, actually."

Garrus and Tali kept their weapons trained on the Geth though, the later shaking her head. "And then you _lied_ to us."

"I _did_, and I'm..._sorry_." The machine, before bereft of all emotions, actually sounded genuinely remorseful now...and Michael kept staring, unsure _who_ he was looking at any more. Shala'Raan and Tali looked at one another at the answer, the former shaking her head violently even as Legion continued. "I knew you would not trust me if I revealed this right away, and I knew you would find out eventually, given your skill with AI, but by then I had hoped to have gained your trust by showing myself as an ally." Legion dipped his head, looking at the two pistols aimed at him. "If it was enough remains to be seen, it seems..."

"Michael?" The Spectre blinked at the mention of his name, looking over to Garrus, the Turian shooting him a sideways glance while still keeping his weapon trained on Legion. "You're awfully quiet..."

With an effort of will, Michael shook his head, frowned, and fixed his gaze on Legion, trying to bring order to his numb mind. "Your story makes sense, Legion, and I can...understand the position you're in. That said, you _lied_ to us, and I don't remember you _ever_ doing that before. Even when we first met and I nearly killed you there and then, you always spoke the truth." He grimaced. "It's why I dared take a chance on you..."

"I know, and..." Legion turned his head, looking at Michael, and there was sorrow in his voice. "...it pained me to lie to _you_, Michael." _Michael_...? Michael swallowed, it felt surreal to hear Legion speak to him by name. "_Especially_ when you are the first organic to have shown a modicum of trust to the Geth since the Morning War. To have lied to you makes me feel..." He looked over to Tali. "...as if the Geth can never exist alongside organics, which...saddens me."

Slowly, hesitantly, Garrus lowered his weapon.

"You _feel_..." Tali hesitated as she gestured her pistol at the Geth, the weapon shaking, her voice almost sounding..._hurt_. "I would be...I...it's the _Reapers_ that _makes_ you feel! How do we know you're not a Reaper agent or spy!?" Michael grimaced, his old arguments with Kaidan far too fresh in his mind since the two had gone separate ways.

"I have done nothing but _help_ you." Legion pointed out, tone sharp as his plates tapped against his head. "I have saved _millions_ of Creator lives. I have enabled you to find the Reaper _itself._ I have offered a way to _get_ to it." His head whipped round, eye glowing bright as he looked at Michael. "Commander, when the _Quarians_ were firing on the Geth Dreadnought, about to kill you, _I_ was the one guiding you to safety. Do I not _deserve_ your trust? Am I too different to trust over those willing to _betray_ you out of a simple need of pointless destruction?"

"Don't try to make _us_ the bad guys here!" Tali shouted, the hand holding her pistol shaking with emotions. "Th-that...was_ Gerrel_!_ All _Quarians aren't like that! And who _knows_ why you saved Michael!? You could be leading him straight to the Reapers, into a trap so they can finally get their claws on him!" Legion whipped his head back to look at Tali, and the Quarian's voice wavered at the intense glare in his eye. "You co-could be doing it without even being _aware_ you're doing it! Just like any indoctrinated organic!" She turned her head, looking at Michael, and her eyes widened at whatever she saw. "Don't listen to him! He _can't _be trusted, however much we want to!"

"I feel nothing but _hate_ for the Reapers, for what they _are_, for what they're forcing my _people_ to do." Legion snapped back. "You think us so different? We are _not_." Then, he hesitated, taking a step back as he lowered his head. "As for us unknowingly leading Michael into a trap...I _cannot_ know that, obviously." Then, he raised his head, staring back at Tali, voice hard with conviction. "But all evidence points to the contrary. I _refuse_ to let fear of this hamper me. My actions are my own, to consider anything else would be to surrender to _fear_, to the _Reapers_...and I will _not_ do that."

Michael felt a shiver run down his spine. _No, no we won't. The Reapers aren't controlling me. I __refuse__ to believe that, as you do, as we __should_..._we do not surrender, we fight_.

Tali's voice trembled, the woman lowering the pistol a fraction of an inch as she looked at Michael with those large eyes that seemed to pierce his very soul. "M-Michael...?"

"Stand down, Tali." Michael replied, then shot her a look as she hesitated. "_Please_." A sigh...and the Quarian obeyed with an upset mutter. Nodding his thanks to her, he turned his attention back to Legion and felt a genuine smile appear on his lips as he pushed a growling Javik aside to offer his hand. "I understand, Legion, more than you could imagine, and for what it's worth, I _trust_ you." The last he added with a sharp glare at the others in the room, and while Tali hesitated, Shala'Raan had her arms crossed over her chest and Javik was frowning in anger he knew to be pointless to voice, the rest seemed to accept his words.

Legion took his hand, the Geth's hand was cold, the handshake firm and mechanical.

His voice though, was _warm_.

"It's worth _everything_ to me."

8

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8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being so attentive, she is the queen of us all, and we should pay homage. ;-)_


	42. Chapter 42

"_Now_!"

For all his planning, for all the details worked out for the assault, Michael had no answer for swiftly reaching the tower rising up before them save one requiring guts and a hint of desperation.

Fortunately, his team had that in spades.

As such, there was no hesitation when the squad broke cover from the cliffs around them and rushed forward, intent on crossing the three hundred feet of ground separating their cover from the fortress ahead. The ground sloped downwards and was made up of sand that made Michael sink to the ankles with each desperate step, making for an exhausted run even _without_ the enemy shooting at them.

And the Geth, apparently not in the least bit fazed by suddenly being under attack, were doing just that the _moment_ the team appeared.

Turrets mounted on the walls, along the side of the nearest tower. Every weapon that had an angle to them was opening up, sending a rain of blue Pulse Rifle shots at the squad. Michael had worked out the best angle to attack from, yet it was _still_ as if the squad had entered a snowstorm where each flake was a lethal attack.

Yet they kept charging. Their shields had been strengthened by cyclonic modulators that were already burning out. Their armour reinforced by ceramic plates was already falling off like a second skin as plasma struck them...but underneath that protection, they were still alive. Ducking and weaving at random as they ran, the squad would have given any lesser AI a headache, their movements fleeting and erratic, making individual targeting nearly impossible.

Yet the Geth were simply pouring shots at them, calmly calculating that the wall of shots would fell at least one or two of the team.

Then the Primes replied.

With heavy booms, twelve Pulse Cannons fired once, twice, _thrice_...and reduced nearly all the turrets mounted on the tower into scrap. Slowly advancing, with Garrus at the head, the second wave of attackers fired a second salvo, the powerful cannons tearing chunks out of the wall while shattering more turrets in balls of superheated plasma.

Given their swift losses, the turrets changed focus, their fire suddenly raking the slow Primes, making their powerful shields shine with a near permanent glow as the shots impacted against them. Two of the Primes' shields failed...and three seconds later the two walls were bristling with Geth troopers bringing dozens of rocket launchers to bear.

Three on the rightmost wall fell before they could even fire, heads exploding into pieces of metal and synthetic blood as Garrus picked them off with the accuracy of a master.

The rest fired, making the Turian curse and throw himself flat on the ground as the rockets came flying.

The Primes didn't have the same flexibility, and kept advancing into the hail of rockets, their shields once more flaring up. One of those with its shields knocked out groaned a low stutter...and then fell backwards, smoke rising from what remained of its burning torso. The other, half its left leg torn off, kept advancing for a few more steps, cannon ceaselessly firing, only to keel over when a stray rocket sent pieces of its head in all directions. _How many millions of dead Geth does that __make_...? Michael had trouble imagining it._ I'll make it worth it, like all the rest, it'll be worth it_!

Then he grunted as his back slammed into the wall of the tower, making one of the last plates attached to his armour fall of with a clack. Though out of breath, his hand was already darting down to free a grenade from his bandoleer as James mimicked his movements. "Clear the wall on the left!" The pair of frag grenades were in the air before Michael had even finished the sentence, gracefully arching upward, past the Geth on the wall, momentarily hanging in the air above the machines now staring up at them.

And then they exploded, the detonations themselves enough to cripple shields and send the nearest Geth flying off the walls. The shards of red-hot steel that followed sheared through air and metal with equal ease, crippling or destroying the majority of the machines on the left in one blow.

The Primes, now having moved closer, had focused their shots to the right in sync with the grenade attack, nearly annihilating the Geth defenders there even as more rushed up to fill the empty spots, Pulse Rifles firing. _Even that's enough to get more kills if we stay under this for much longer_. "Legion, what's the hold-up!?"

"Give me a moment." Was the terse response, making Michael throw the machine a curious look , still somewhat confused by the shift in Legion's articulation. The Geth was kneeling by a console next to a massive black door, more than large enough to accommodate the Primes. _Or_ _Armatures_..._that_ _might_ _prove_..._problematic_. "Bypassing Reaper firewalls, almost in."

"Damn, these Geth responded quickly, didn't they!?" James growled, throwing another grenade up at the Geth, this one falling short, yet still enough to blast a Geth's head off when it peeked over the wall. "Almost as if they were expecting us!"

_Dammit, James_! Michael shot Tali a look, finding the Quarian looking at Legion with a pensive look. Her old ancestral hatred, rekindled from the war, was mixed with her experience of working with Legion from both before and now. It combined with her suspicions of his actions, and of whatever had happened on the Geth server. _You look_..._lost_.

Legion was the one answering though. "Reaper codes increase efficiency by a factor of four for each Geth program, the Collective's increased efficiency is astronomical, the time between query, decision and execution is minimal."

"Ah, so they think of their feet." James summarised with a shrug, Falcon firing several grenades up at the Geth on the right, the small explosions raking their position. "How nice."

"It is, actually" Legion responded, drawing a mirthless chuckle from the Marine. "Done, door opening."

Michael, throwing a flash grenade through the opening doors, drew his Talon pistol, face grim. _Now comes the good bit, I'm coming for you, Reaper_... "Right, clear this room and then proceed to your individual objectives!"

The grenade went off and Michael charged forth, pistol firing, blowing a Geth's head off as his omni-blade slashed off another's, a storm of shots flying past him to tear through the other defenders as a vicious firefight erupted.

_I'm coming for you_.

8

8

8

"Right, same procedure as last time." James muttered, as much to the others as to himself, as he readied a grenade. The door ahead was closed, but EDI had gotten the lock open, and as such it was just one tap away from opening. _This_ time, however, James expected more of a fight. _They have to know what we're doing after we took the first tower_...

The thought wasn't comforting, nor was it calming him to know that taking the towers was _his_ job...but it had to be done. _At least we gained time by blowing up the first turret instead of hacking it_..._so maybe they haven't had time to prepare a proper welcoming committee_. A sigh escaped him. _Yeah_ _right_.

"If we could perform said procedure _today_, I would be glad." Javik, standing at the other edge of the door, replied, making James throw in an irritated glare.

Below them though, he knew the others were fighting for their lives while his group was waiting in the corridor leading to the second tower...it was indeed time to act. "Fine, open it."

Javik reached out, tapped the door...and managed to withdraw his arm just in time to avoid a blinding stream of Pulse rifle shots tearing through the air between the two warriors. _Okay, so __that's__ a committee_! "Frag out!" Unable to glance around the corner, James threw it in as best he could even as he looked to EDI standing behind Javik. "EDI, on my word!" A boom made the floor shake as the grenade went off, momentarily slackening the Geth fire. "_Now_!"

As one, the two charged in, heavily armoured man and heavily shielded machine side by side as Wraith shotgun and Tempest fired as one.

As one, they were also assailed by a new torrent of shots. _Shit_! The Geth, having expected the assault, had moved every bit of cover they could to the far end of the circular room and were hunkering down there, their shots raking the two exposed squad-mates. James' eyes widened in panic, gaze darting left and... "Right!"

Leaping at his command, EDI was the first to take cover by the large cylinder and console that was the controls to the anti-air turret, something the Geth simply hadn't been able to move. James was slower, and cursed as he stumbled into cover, pain blossoming from his knee as a the smell of burnt flesh assaulted his nostrils. _Shit_... EDI's voice was distant, muffled by throbbing pain and explosions. "James, are you all right?"

A hiss escaped him even as his suit injected a bit of medi-gel at the injury, but mostly it was his _pride_ that hurt. "Estupido Geth!" A growl, his hands moving to reload his shotgun as he shook the sweat that had formed from the pain out of his brow. "Pudrete en el infierno!" He jumped to his feet, swinging the the gun around the corner of their cover. "Te voy a matar!" A squeeze of the trigger and the Wraith sent a Geth flying backwards as much of its chest and head was torn asunder in one fell blow.

"I believe that's a yes." EDI calmly noted, stepping behind him to rake the Geth position with her Tempest. "I also believe we are losing precious time."

_Shit, she's right_. As if on cue, the radio chimed, Garrus' voice tense. "Hey James, not to bother you, but the Primes say there's incoming Geth fighters coming for my team, so if you could, you know, make life harder for them, I would appreciate it."

"On it, scars." James growled, ducking back into cover after firing a hastily aimed shot before moving to reload as the wall behind him was peppered by enemy shots. _Damn, what would Michael do_? _He_..._wait, what did he do back on the Council Tower_...? "Liara! Javik! Everything the Geth have moved, move it again!"

There was a crackling in the air, as if it had suddenly filled with static, and from the doorway, James caught sight of purple and green biotics flooding the chamber...and then surging towards the entrenched Geth.

Desks, crates and computers were sent flying at the force of the impact of the coursing energies and several Geth, shielded but fragile underneath that protection, were crushed between the flying furniture they had used for cover and the walls behind them. "Get them!"

The two biotics rushed through the doorway, Phaeston and Locust pouring shots into those Geth that had survived or only been crippled by having their cover turned against them. EDI quickly joined them, omni-tool glowing as a chain of overloading energy coursed through the pinned Geths, shredding their shields.

James, on the other hand, moved in close, shotgun blasting a Geth square in the face when it tried to shoot out the console for the anti-air gun, as if guessing what he intended for it. The second shot split another Geth in two by shredding its slim waist even as he closed the distance with another pinned underneath a crate, its chest rested atop the thing that had crushed it while it kept firing at the group. Grunting, James ignored the shots hitting his recharged shields as he raised his foot and brought it down, crushing the Geth's skull between his armoured boot and the wall.

Then, catching him by surprise, silence filled the room.

"An...interesting way to kill." Javik noted, head cocked to the side as he stared at the goo covering James' boot as the Marine turned to face the others. "And your kind actually learnt to pilot starships?"

"Yeah, yeah, we're primitive, I get it." James grunted while he reloaded, not having the time nor energy to banter with the Prothean. _Damn, command is __exhausting__, I'd almost forgotten_..._how does Shepard do it_!? "EDI, get that turret under our control, will you? Biotics, rest and eat an energy bar or something." James had fought enough battles with biotics to know their need for sustenance, and enjoyed seeing Javik actually _obey_ by sitting down on the floor, drawing something red and green out of a pocket in his armour. _You don't want to know what that is, Vega_. Before Javik had taken a bite out of his meal, James was turning to Liara, finding her smiling gently at him, obviously supporting his efforts. "Well...that was easy, wasn't it?"

"Yes, only four towers left now." Liara agreed with a nod, the Asari not eating as she simply sat on the floor, a hint of perspiration running from her temple.

"Each becoming more difficult as we progress." Javik grunted, making human and Asari both frown in irritation. "I merely speak the truth, these..._synthetics_, know how to fight." The Prothean snorted, shaking his head as he turned his attention back to his meal, voice a low mutter. "And the Commander wants them as allies...madness..."

_You said it_. James shrugged. He followed orders, the rest was up to others up the chain of command, still, the idea of being allied to those painted as the enemy for so long was...confusing. "Well...if they'll fight the Reapers instead of fighting _with_ them...we'll see." He turned his head, not about to focus on things above his pay-grade. "EDI, how's the hack progressing?"

"Well." The machine answered, frowning as she held her glowing omni-tool over the console. "One of Legion's sub-routines is connected to my omni-tool to _assist_ with hacking...but honestly it feels like it's doing most of the work, these codes are too complex for me." She frowned. "It's terrifying to think of just how complex the Reapers truly are, factors above us in advancements."

"Yeah, thanks for that, I love the idea of fighting a creature that thinks of us as nothing more advanced than an insect." James grimaced.

"Actually, insects are-"

"Just focus on the hack." James snapped, only to regret himself as the machine turned her head and shot him a look, eyebrows raised. "I mean, _please_ focus on the hack...sorry, I'm a little tense."

"And now the human apologises to an AI..." Javik muttered in disdain, not looking up from his meal.

"Indeed he is, as a _polite_ person does..." EDI replied, not even glancing at the Prothean as she suddenly smirked. "..._insect_."

Javik jumped to his feet, hands clenched even as Liara concealed her snicker behind a raised hand. James though, holding back a chuckle, forced himself to raise his hands. "Okay, okay, no bickering now, we have a schedule...EDI?"

"Turret hacked, data indicates incoming Geth fighters, turrets targeting..." EDI's gaze was distant. "Fighter wing cut in half, more incoming, one Prime downed by enemy assault." She turned her gaze back to the present, looking over to James. "I suggest more turrets to be hacked in order to stop enemy air-supremacy."

"Then we'll do so." James turned towards the next door, pushing aside a crate to reach it even as he checked his bandoleer. _Only three grenades left already_? _Damn, need to get that type Michael uses, dangerous as it may be, you don't run out in a good while_... "Right, all Asari, synthetics and..._insects_..." He held back a snicker even as Javik muttered something in a foreign tongue. "...follow me."

8

8

8

The battle was going well.

Michael, liked that.

His team, the smallest of the three now filtering through the base, had been actively trying to avoid combat, and though that had proven impossible, they had so far managed to maintain their advance with only minor problems.

Part of the reason for that was in his companions. Legion was a Geth himself, adept at combating his own kind since he knew their every move. And Tali...well no one could hack a Geth like his favourite Quarian.

"Tali, turret there." Moving around a corner, Michael watched the woman throw one of her last turrets into the corridor from whence they had come. The little defences had scored a few kills during their tracking through the enemy fort, but mostly they had been used to stall the enemies pursuing the team. Every moment the Geth were spending fighting a turret was time they weren't moving after the team. They had even thrown one into the _wrong_ hall at a crossing to lure the pursuers into a wild goose chase...and that was enough to make Michael _very_ pleased about her little innovations.

Legion was quiet beside them, almost _too_ quiet...Michael knew the machine didn't speak unless he felt the need, but it was a...different kind of quiet. If Michael didn't knew better, he'd almost think the machine _nervous_.

Tali was almost, ironically so, a mirror image of Legion, she too quiet as a mouse, obeying Michael's orders but otherwise remaining tense and distant. Eyes wide as she looked around herself, as if only now realising that she was on her homeworld, of the threat to her people, of what was at stake.

_Guess we all have a lot riding on this_...

Michael suppressed his nervousness though, which was surprisingly easy when he thought of what lay ahead.

He could _feel_ the Reaper. Like a throbbing dark heart in the middle of the base, it was a cancer at the edge of his consciousness, something that needed to be carved out, ripped apart, burnt and _crushed_ and...

With a low growl, Michael grit his teeth, suppressing the rage about to boil over...and _that_ was far more difficult than keeping his nervousness in check. _I'll kill you, I'll free the Geth and make them my allies by killing you, do you hear me_? _I'm the last thing you'll ever see_. "Garrus, James, status." The words were growled and tense, revealing his contained anger.

"Garrus here, down to four Primes, but at least those fighters have stopped bothering me." Was the instant reply. "Oh and I'm fine too, that rocket five minutes ago only hit me in the chest, thanks for asking."

"Heh, not like we would notice if it hit your face..." James chimed in, then cleared his throat. "We're approaching the last tower, expecting a bit of a fight, but we'll get it done. The Normandy is free to engage."

"Ah, going to bag myself another Reaper." Joker suddenly spoke up, a grin in his voice. "Love it when you grunts do the heavy work so we fly-boys can take all the glory."

"Yeah, yeah." James grumbled back. "You're just upset you sometimes have to _work_ for your pay."

"What was that? I think that was a Marine being jealous and a smarty-pants and so foregoing a pick-up." Joker chuckled. "Enjoy Rannoch, I hear it gets _hot_."

"Hey, lots of sun and no bugs." James replied, a smile in his voice. "Could think of worse places to retire to."

_Yeah_... Michael glanced back as he advanced, looking to Tali who met his gaze, only to look away, the darkening of her visor hinting at a blush, making him smile._ Shame that won't happen_. His smile dying, Michael shook his head and looked ahead, voice grim. "Enough of that, people. I'm approaching our target, Michael out."

The door ahead was large, and sadly lead into a room with a ceiling, meaning Garrus' support fire would have to be directed at any pursuers rather than the defenders within. Michael knew from the blueprints that the chamber ahead would be large and long, several pillars of steel containing various cables holding it up. Beyond it there would be a balcony with not only a console to the blast shield below, but a perfect view of it, as well. He didn't, however, know what defenders there would be.

Stepping up close to the door, he pressed himself against the right side of the corridor as Tali joined in behind him and Legion pressed up against the left, using what little cover the doorway supplied to keep themselves in cover. "Okay..." Michael looked to Legion, then Tali, smiling at them both in reassurance. _I know what to do, I know how to act whatever the outcome, I'm prepared_. "...let's do this."

He opened the door.

A hum, and a blue orb of energy shot through the doorway and loudly crashed into the floor further off, gouging a deep hole into the metal. Legion's warning was pointless. "Armature-class enemy!"

Michael risked a glance around his cover, then withdrew his head in time to dodge a torrent of shots from the Armature and half a dozen Geth troopers. _Right, six pillars, three on each side, forming an aisle, each used as cover by a Geth trooper, Armature near the end of the room, two rocket troopers behind it_. He grimaced. _Could be worse_. "Tali, can you hack that Armature?" He glanced at the armoured Quarian.

Who shook her head. "With their new codes? No, could mess up its targeting though...for a little while...not sure how long." He could _feel_ her grimacing, unsure about herself, and smiled back, stopping her before she started to fidget. "An easier target would be the troopers."

"Okay, Armature targeting, then the ones with rockets, on my mark." Michael turned his head, looking to Legion as another blue orb of energy shot past them, followed by twin rockets. "Legion, I want that widow working down the right flank, then to support me, got it?"

"With you, Michael." Was the tense response, the synthetic voice somehow revealing its steely determination. "Today, my people become free."

"Damn right." Michael grinned, then drew his pistol, the Talon pistol feeling ridiculously small in his hand compared to the Revenant, but he needed to move quickly. "Okay, on my mark..." More twin rockets accompanied by a blue orb shot past them. "...go!"

He leapt out of cover, feet pumping swiftly as he ran to the left, Pulse rifle shots impacting against his shields as the Geth troopers hiding behind the pillars opened fire. The Armature, having just recovered from its cannon firing, stood up straight, the cannon at the side of its head tracking Michael as its shots tore up the floor behind him, swiftly catching up...

...and then suddenly veering upwards as the machine jerked, a puppet to Tali's manipulations. Meanwhile the rightmost Rocket trooper collapsed, its head nothing but a few wires as Legion's widow tore the rest off in an explosion of sparks. Michael, sprinting as he was, fired two shots to the right, and was pleasantly surprised when one of the shots caught the closest Geth to the right square in the chest, sending it crashing to the floor.

Then he was crashing into the closest pillar to the left, thankful for the cover it offered even as he sensed movement to his right.

His free hand shot out, grabbing the rifle the Geth sharing his cover had been poking out, and _pulled_, drawing the Geth around the pillar as it struggled to maintain its grip on its weapon. Not about to get into a test of strength, Michael put the barrel of his Talon under its 'chin' and fired. _Three shots fired, extended the heat capacity, so four left_... Michael barely heard the crash of the Geth falling as he pondered his next move.

A flurry of shots impacted with his cover, tearing at the right side as the troopers there poured shots towards him.

A loud boom, and the closest one fell, much of its cover, along with its chest, disintegrated by Legion's widow. A louder boom, and the suppressive fire went completely silent as the remaining Geth with a rocket launcher took out the two remaining troopers on Michael's right in a Quarian-induced lapse of targeting.

Michael swept around to aim past the right of his pillar and momentarily spotted the Armature, watching it put an end to its rogue ally by spearing it on one of its spidery legs. Only for him to have to take cover again when the two remaining troopers at his own side of the room opened fire on him.

Not pausing to take stock, he instead spun and aimed the pistol past the _left_ of the pillar, faster than the Geth moving to intercept...and fired the remaining four shots in his pistol the moment they poked their heads out.

With a pair of electronic wails, the two troopers fell to the floor.

_Heh_. Michael smiled grimly as he reloaded from behind his cover. _Reaper upgrades or not, you're still Geth, and I know how to kill you_.

"_Michael_!" Tali's shriek cut through the air and his calm. "_Jump_!"

Michael didn't question. Tali said jump, so he jumped, throwing himself out into the middle of the room...and the pillar he'd been taking cover behind was annihilated as the Armature's cannon struck it, the heat from the shot making Michael's skin prickle.

For a moment, he just stood there, staring at the Armature as it shook from the recoil of its main gun, then turn its secondary weapon towards him, the heavy machine-gun more than enough to rip him apart.

Then, Michael, trapped in the open, did the only thing available to him, he ran forward.

"Everything you got! Now!" He had barely shouted the order before the Armature's cannon aimed right up at the ceiling, a low electronic growl escaping it even as the shot from a Widow and a Geth shotgun struck its shields. Michael added his Talon to the mix, three shots simply being absorbed by the massive shields on the heavy tank, making him grunt in irritation. _Fine, I'll do this __the hard way then_...

The Armature had regained control of its gun, moving it down towards him, but too slowly. Jumping feet first, Michael slid along the floor, underneath the Armature. In his right hand, his pistol fired its four remaining shots, and so close, the shields couldn't catch the shots, shots that cracked open the armoured plating along the entire gut of the Geth walker. His left hand, on the other hand, moved over his chest, closed around what he was looking for and then dropped it down on the floor.

Sliding out from beneath it, Michael turned, grinning as the Armature tried to turn towards him, only to freeze still as the arc grenade he'd left underneath its cracked hull went off, the full brunt of the overloading blast tearing through its insides. "Tali! Legion!" The shouts were greeted by a second course of energy shooting through the Armature as the last of its shields were drained away. Then a boom as Legion's widow targeted the already cracked gut of the machine.

A groan of straining metal...and the insides of the machine poured out over the floor as its structural integrity failed, the hull itself quickly following, an empty skin lying atop the insides of gutted animal.

Silence.

"Well..." Tali muttered as she gingerly walked into the room, looking around herself through the slits in her armoured visor. "...seems we still got it." She turned her gaze back to Michael, an irritated smile in her voice. "And that you're as rash, as _always_."

"I'm a hopeless case, it's true." Michael grinned back, then found his face turn serious as he saw Legion approach, something in the way the machine walked actually implying _impatience_. "Right, let's get this under way, I don't want them to send in reinforcements." He moved his hand up to his helmet even as he holstered his pistol. "Cortez, Shepard here, move to pick us up. We'll need to leave in a hurry."

"Roger that, Commander."

Michael barely heard the confirmation under the static, but he wasn't paying it much heed as he stalked towards what the Geth had been protecting, hands moving to draw his Cain, the heavy weapon a clumsy weight brimming with destructive power. "Consol's out." He barely heard Tali mutter the words as he glanced at the broken piece of machinery at the centre of the balcony. His attention was fixed on what he had in front of him, of the edge of the balcony drawing closer.

He looked out. With the balcony at a higher spot than most of the rooms on this level, he could see past the walls of the fortress, across the dark but glittering sea, over the strange birds flying in the distance. _Huh, sun sets in the east here_... Michael looked at the warm orb, glowing at him, almost welcoming...and understood why the Quarians longed to be back.

It was beautiful.

A sigh, and Michael looked down as he came to a stop at the edge of the balcony, looking down at the blast shield the Reaper was hiding under even as their shuttle roared past and landed a few feet behind him. Y_ou, another Reaper, another monster_...

His hands tightened on the Cain as he looked back up at the sunset.

_You don't belong here_.

He took aim.

_Today you die_.

And then he froze.

"**Shepard**." The call...it shot through him, making his body tense as sharp needles danced through his brain...and he growled in defiance even as the voice tore through his very being. "**Today, **_**you**_** die**."

A rumble, and the blast-shield was smashed outwards as if it was made out of paper, torn lumps of steel whirling through the air like leaves in the wind. The entire base shook, nearly throwing Michael off the balcony before he took two stumbling steps backwards, a groan of protesting metal making him grit his teeth as the balcony curled upwards under the force of the Reaper climbing out of its lair. And as he struggled to stay standing, Michael lost his grip on the Cain.

_No_! He stared at the weapon even as he stumbled further away from it, the floor heaving under him as the Reaper tore its way into freedom.

There was no time though, Tali was screaming something at him, Legion was calling out a warning...and the Reaper's eye appeared at the end of the balcony, unending evil staring straight at him, glowing ever brighter...

Michael turned, leapt, and landed in the already lifting shuttle, the other two of his team already there, staring at the monster rising up before them.

A jolt, and Michael's hands shot up to grab a hold of the ceiling as the shuttle shot off, the heat of the Reaper's beam so intense he saw the edges of his armour melt.

One of his hands shot down a moment later, panic gripping his heart as he realised how everything was suddenly spinning out of control. "Joker, I need you down here, _now_!"

"On my-" The rest of the pilot's reply was cut short as the shuttle violently shook, the door on Michael's side turning into molten slag as a blinding red light filled his world, sending Michael tumbling back, crashing into the other two behind him.

Tali was babbling, screaming, shouting, Michael could barely hear it over the cacophony of the shuttle struggling to move, over the blaring roar of the Reaper, over the klaxon of the shuttle's alarms. He tried to turn, to hold her, only for the shuttle to sharply jerk sideways throwing him towards the other side of the shuttle.

For a moment, he was outside the shuttle, hanging in the air.

Then, he grasped a hold of the molten remains of the door, grip bending the metal as he held on with every ounce of his strength. Inside the shuttle, Legion was trying to climb up along the floor of the shuttle to reach him even as Tali lay pressed against the other wall as the shuttle spun, her eyes wide with horror as she stared at him. _No, don't be afraid_. Michael pushed aside his fear, embracing anger as his eyes narrowed. _This isn't the end, I won't __let__ it be the end_!

The Reaper, it's voice worming through his skull like a dark shadow, mocked his words. "**You ****are **_**powerless**_**, human**."

_Pain_!

Darkness.

White light.

And Michael groaned even as his eyes opened...just in time to see the ground flying towards him.

_Pain_!

Gasping, he rolled as best he could with the impact, bolts of agony shooting through him each time a sharp rock struck him, despite his armour taking the brunt of the impact. With a thump, he came to a stop, lying prone on the ground, body shaking with pain and dizziness. He coughed, and it _hurt_.

_Damn, thrown out of a shuttle mid-flight_..._I learn new ways to nearly die every day, I should tell Tali to_... He jumped to his feet, panic nearly making his heart stop. _Tali_!

"We're here!" Came the reply to his radio, making Michael realise he had shouted the name aloud. Looking around, he realised they were back among the cliffs and hills to the west of the Reaper base. The shuttle, now more resembling a Rubik's cube, lay just a few dozen feet away, making his heart skip yet another beat even as Tali spoke. "We're stuck though! I'm cutting my way through but could use some help! Cortez has broken his leg and seems to be losing consciousness!"

Michael took a step towards the shuttle...only to freeze still as a shadow fell across them. "**Shepard**..." Turning, he found the Reaper step out of the ruined remains of the Reaper base, ignoring the odd shot shooting up at it from the rest of Michael's team, its solitary eye fixed on _him_, the long shadow the setting sun was casting making it seem even larger than it truly was. "**Your time is at an end**." The eye glowed brightly as it took another long step towards him. "**You, and all your allies, die today**."

Michael stared at it, then glanced back at the shuttle and its trapped inhabitants...and felt fear squeeze his heart.

"Here comes the cavalry!" With Joker's proud cry, the Normandy shot past him, Thanix cannon firing.

The Reaper...Michael could _feel_ its cruel enjoyment, of how it had _expected_ the attack.

It moved sideways, turning its body so the blast struck nothing but its armoured side...and then, as the eye glowed painfully red, it jerked it back and shot a beam of crimson red at the Normandy.

"Shit!" Joker's cry was cut short by an explosion as the two engines on the Normandy's left were torn asunder, sending the frigate spinning sideways like a discarded toy, a cloud of dust bellowing upwards as it crashed near the wall of the Reaper base.

A moment, all was quiet.

Then there was a groan in the radio, Joker gasping for air. "_Help_..."

_Joker_... Michael just stood there, frozen to the ground, horror gripping him as he stared at the broken Normandy, to the Reaper base where they were still fighting, then over to the crumpled shuttle.

_Broken, fighting for their lives, trapped_..._I_..._how_ _did_ _it_...

He turned his gaze to the Reaper...and his eyes narrowed.

_You_...

He was breathing quickly, not from exertion, but angrily, heart thumping hard with rage.

_You_...!

His vision was blurring, blurring all but the _Reaper_, the sole object of his hate.

_YOU_!

The Reaper, a dark blot on the planet, an undead monster of flesh and steel, took a lumbering step towards him, its voice like a cold dagger in his brain. "**Submit**."

Michael opened his mouth to reply, but instead a roar tore its way out of his throat.

He charged.

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for her support and calming influence during my surgery, she's one in a million._


	43. Chapter 43

Underneath his feet the ground was a blur.

To his sides, cliffs and hills were flying past.

All of it was a mere blur, an insubstantial backdrop to the one solid thing in Michael's vision.

TheReaper.

Michael remembered the Collector base, how he'd charged the monstrous Proto-Reaper, how he'd felt _fear_ squeeze his heart, how he'd feared for his life.

Now, however, there was no fear, only _hate_.

A blinding, maddening, overpowering _rage_.

In his radio, people were screaming at him. Tali, Garrus, Legion, Liara, _everyone_...and it was just another fading thing, at the edge of his consciousness, _ignored_.

He saw the Reaper ahead, saw it take another giant step towards him, an insurmountable obstacle, its looming presence digging into the edges of his mind's most sacred sanctum, telling him that there was no salvation, no victory, that he couldn't win, that he _never_ could.

From deep within his chest, another roar of mad defiance escaped him, illogical, foolish, and with every ounce of his soul behind it.

"**Harbinger desires to see your death, Shepard.**" The words were like dark tendrils in Michael's lungs, trying to choke him even as he watched the Reaper ahead seemingly _throb_, his vision distorting as he felt the machine grow in its very _presence_. The voice, dark and commanding, _changed_. "**Now, submit to me**."

_Harbinger_.

Again, Michael roared, but this time it was a pained scream as his mind rebelled, agony shooting through it, nearly making him stumble.

_No_. Michael kept charging, watching the eye of the Reaper grow brighter, _felt_ its intention. It wanted to make him falter, to terrify him, to _show_ the weakness of his organic existence to himself as much as to the Reapers.

The beam shot forth, the crimson light blindingly bright as it struck the ground before Michael, intent on proving how weak he was.

He didn't stop, didn't hesitate, he ran straight into the light.

The ground beneath his boots turned into molten glass, burning embers flying past him, the heat making his shields fail and his armour melt as the heat sucked all the air out of his lungs.

Yet he kept running.

Coughing, almost blinded, he kept running.

And Harbinger's voice, angered, yet confident, once more assaulted his senses. "**Your efforts ****are in vain, Shepard**."

_I hate you_! Michael wanted to shout the words, wanted to reply to the mocking voice in his mind, but all that escaped him was another mindless roar, full of pain and hate, as if he was a cup that was finally spilling over.

"**The moment you were **_**born**_**, you lost**." Again, the eye came alight, again, the beam was charged, this time with the intent to _kill_, to wipe out the pathetic organic from the face of the galaxy.

Michael, reacting to nothing but the cacophony in his mind, launched himself to the right, rolling with the impact before coming up to run forward once more. He didn't even slow down, didn't even glance at the ground he'd stood on being blown apart by the beam.

All he saw was Harbinger, every Reaper in the _galaxy_, glaring down at him.

_I hate you all_!

The Reaper, dwarfing everything around it, took another step forward, its looming shadow making a lone tree atop a nearby cliff wither, as if unable to endure the machine's very presence. "**This is no war, this is simply another harvest, your struggles are futile**."

All Michael managed was another roar, his body launching itself forward on instinct, making the Reaper's attempt to catch him by surprise with a quick blast strike the ground behind him

_You took Ashley from me_! A howl of suppressed pain and grief shook through Michael's dry mouth. _You took Jack_! _Kasumi_! _Zaaed_! _Kal'Reegar_! _You are the reason Thane's dead_! _Mordin_! _Wrex_! _You are the reason I feel the pain of an entire __species'__ death_! _You have killed billions upon billions_! _I can __feel__ it_!_ I can feel their agony in you_! _I can feel how you __enjoy__ it_! The howl turned into a growl of loathing, of guilt and hate. _You're despicable_!

"**You, like all before you, will bend to my will**." The words were like daggers, boring into Michael's mind, making his every nerve alight with agony.

_Never_! He screamed, a scream of pain and defiance, and launched himself to the left, not even _seeing_ the blast of energy he'd just dodged._ You've taken my life_! _You've taken my sleep_! _My __dreams_!The ground was sloping upwards now, turning into a steep cliff, leading up to the withering tree at the top, a tree cast in stark relief against the growing red eye behind it._ You've taken my __future_!

"**You are but dust in the cosmos, your existence insignificant**." The eye before Michael's vision grew in size as the Reaper took another step closer, the growing light making the tree before it throw a sharp shadow across Michael's face. "**Now, that existence is at an **_**end**_."

The beam charged...and Michael was so close he could now see individual arcs of white light dance across the surface of the Reaper's solitary eye, an eye there was no escape from, no salvation, no victory.

A roar, loud and clear...and Michael ran straight at it, past the tree, jumping forward, off the cliff, his body a blur of agony, hatred, _purpose_.

_You've taken __everything__ from me_!

The beam fired.

_Pain_!

The tree at the top of the cliff was annihilated, the ground underneath turned to molten glass, the impact throwing up burning debris in all direction, the heat scalding Michael, making him scream in agony.

Yet he held on, blind with pain, body shaking with agony and hate, he held on to the metal pipe he'd wrapped his arms around. Above him, he felt the heat from the Reaper's eye lingering against his body. He felt it take a step back as he clung to it, in his mind, he felt its mocking words dig into his soul. "**Your efforts are in vain, Shepard**." Behind him, he felt the armoured plates of the Reaper shift, moving to close around him, to crush him as one would a fly. "**Die**." So close to the Reaper, Michael felt his mind swirl, dizziness gripping him as the command shook through his hurting body. "**And then, the galaxy will follow**."

_No_. The dizziness retreated before the mental command, pushed aside as growl escaped Michael's gritted teeth._ You won't take a single life more, Reaper_. Another growl, _louder_, and Michael's omni-blade activated._ I'll make sure of it_. A sweep of his arm...and Michael's left hand held on tightly as the metal pipe was sliced open. _Harbinger_... A third growl, spiteful as he felt the Reaper recoil at the sudden injury. ..._I know you feel this_.

"**Your resistance is as pointless as your existence**." Was Harbinger's reply, angry, tearing at Michael's consciousness like mad claws as the armoured plates of the Reaper closed in on Michael... "**Your life is forfeit**."

Michael ignored it all, his hate and pain shaped into a weapon, sharp as a razor, unstoppable as a an arrow in flight._ Let me teach you the meaning of pain_. His hand moved to his chest, then slammed forward, into the hole carved into the Reaper's pipe._ Let me teach you the meaning of fear_.

The Reaper froze, the armoured plates now nearly crushing Michael stopping ...and the grenade went off deep within it.

"**You cannot win, Shepard**." Harbinger's voice growled, angry, endlessly confident, _arrogant_. "**Your end is nigh**."

_This is just the beginning_. Again, Michael's hand moved, again, a grenade went deep into the Reaper, the Spectre not even looking at what he'd thrown into it._ I'm coming for you, I'm coming to kill you_. Again, his hand moved, a third grenade following the path of the second as it exploded. _You cannot stop me, you cannot beat me, I am your end_.

His hand moved, again and again, not stopping, each movement quick and precise, fuelled by endless hate.

And the Reaper groaned, the giant machine stumbling sideways, then backwards, a shudder rocking through it. "**Shepard**...**your defiance is as insignificant as your**..."

_Enough_. Michael's thought was followed by a boom deep within the Reaper, silencing Harbinger's voice. _Your death will come at my hand. Fear me, for I am your end_. He meant it, he felt it in his very bones...and somewhere deep inside him, he felt Harbinger...recoil.

Another deep explosion within the Reaper...and Harbinger's presence faded, the Reaper itself stumbling forward, then _falling_.

Michael glanced back just in time to see the cliff he'd leapt from come rushing towards him, then white light filled his vision as the Reaper crashed into it, sending him flying backwards as he lost his grip on the dying machine.

His back struck ground, dust filling his returning vision as he rolled backwards, agony shooting through his battered body even as he, with a defiant grunt, slammed his right hand down, fingers digging into the dirt and stopping him short of rolling down the slope behind him even as his boots dug into the dirt.

Lazily, the dust he'd kicked up trailed behind him like a cloak, his black armour was torn, gashed and marred by blood, yet made no sound of protest as he pulled his hand free and straightened to his full length, pale blue eyes narrowed as he glared at the Reaper before him.

A Reaper collapsed against the cliff he stood on, slowly sliding down as its weight pulled it downwards. Its eye was staring at him, but the red light was dimming, powerless as it stared at him. Did it feel surprise? Confusion? Hatred? Pain? _Fear_?

Michael didn't know...nor did he care.

With a final shudder, the glow of the Reaper's eye died as the machine slumped off the cliff, sliding to the ground below with a dull crash.

Dead.

_I_..._it's_..._dead_?

Silence, the whole galaxy seemingly holding its breath.

And Michael groaned, swaying where he stood as the dizziness returned. Despite what he'd just done, his injuries were minor. But his _mind_...it was like ants were crawling through his brain, and Michael had no strength to stop them, only to endure, to let the black dots dance before his vision as the tension, stress and pain from all the built-up hatred he'd just released made his skull throb.

For what felt as an eternity, he just stood there, swaying, _hurting_, torn between exhaustion and relief.

Then, he steadied himself, the anger pouring off him like water, replaced by a dim feeling of satisfaction, of..._happiness_. The feeling was so foreign by now that Michael blinked, unsure what it was. Then he smiled, a shiver running down his spine as his gaze drifted away from slain Reaper, over to the orange sun, so large in the horizon as it slowly set that it looked like it was about to swallow the entire ocean.

_It's_..._beautiful_.

"You...killed it?" Michael couldn't bring himself to turn away from the view, but he grinned with relief as he heard Tali's voice, feeling her presence as she moved closer, voice full of wonder. "You actually...Keelah."

Michael swallowed, wetting his throat before nodding towards the distant sun, his features softening for what felt like the first time in _centuries_. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yes..." The scrape of Tali's boots as she inched closer, voice shaking with relief. "...yes it is."

"It heralds an end of this day, the beginning of a new one." Legion's synthetic voice was warm and soft, the machine striding up behind Michael. "An end to the Reaper control, the final end to the Morning War, the beginning of our freedom, our future." A pause...and Michael felt the Geth's eye on him. "I...there are no words that can properly describe my gratitude, Michael."

"A Geth, lost for words?" Tali chuckled, tired, but happy. "Now I've seen everything."

Michael felt a chuckle escape his dry lips as he turned, relief making his body shake as tensions he'd barely been aware of any more were released, making him feel weak and exhausted. Legion and Tali were both looking at him, the former with a bowed head, the later with large eyes, chest shaking with emotions with each breath. "We did it..." Michael grinned.

"Shepard, you _did_ it, the Reaper signal is _gone_!" There was an eagerness in Gerrel's voice as Michael's radio called out...and Michael's grin died, body tensing as he with wide eyes saw in his helmet that the signal wasn't broadcasting to just him, but every ship in the Quarian flotilla. "The Geth are at our mercy!"

_Oh no_...

Michael's gaze jumped between Tali and Legion. The later looking up, hands closing into fists, the former shaking her head in mute denial even as Gerrel continued. "All ships, advance! Begin blinding the Geth sensors! Today, we take back our home!"

"No! Pull back!" The words left his lips before Michael had even realised he'd spoken. "You _will_ get your homeworld back! There's no need to fight! The Geth are _not_ your enemy now! Legion promised you'd get it back!"

"I'd never trust the word of a _Geth_!" Was the snarled response. "Today, the Quarians rectify the mistake of our ancestors! Today, we avenge their deaths! All Quarians, for Rannoch, for your families, for your future, _advance_!"

With a jerk, Tali suddenly moved, hand moving up to her helmet. "No, you can't do that! We _agreed_ we'd pull back! The war is _over_! We've _won_!"

"We haven't won until every last Geth is gone." Gerrel snorted, and Michael felt a vice close around his heart as his gaze darted between Legion and Tali, feeling powerless as the situation spiralled out of control.

"I agree with Tali'Zorah! We pull back!" Koris called in, voice angry. "Enough people have died, Gerrel!"

The words were met by nothing but a snort from the other Admiral, but made Tali shake her head as she growled. "Two votes against you, Gerrel! Raan, give the word and this _ends_!"

Silence.

And Tali visibly shivered, shoulders slumping. "Shala...?"

"I'm..._sorry_, Tali." Shala'Raan's voice was heavy with regret, but not hesitating. "There is too much at risk, and a Geth with the Reaper code...we can't allow them to endure."

"_No_! But you _promised_!" Tali's eyes were wide as the treachery sunk in, gaze panicked as it darted between Michael and Legion, the later having lowered his head again, hands clenched tight at his sides. "Don't you remember what I told you!? This isn't _right_! There's no _need_ for this! There's _never_ been a reason for it!"

"As I said...I'm sorry." With that, Shala's transmission went silent.

Michael, so relieved just moments ago, felt his tension return a hundred fold, his anger pouring back into his heart, making his voice a venomous snarl. "Gerrel, you _will_ pull back, you hear me?" _I want the Geth, I __need__ them, the __galaxy__ needs them_! He didn't care that the rest of the Quarian Flotilla could hear him. All there was, was his _anger_. "Because I _swear_ it, if you don't, I _will_ find you, and I'll _kill_ you..."

The pause at the other end was minimal, then Gerrel's reply came back, calm and defiant. "Then I'll be the last Quarian dying to get my people their home back, I can think of no better death."

_Oh you_... Michael clenched his teeth and hands tightly, head throbbing with impotent rage.

_You can't stop him, you __can't_..._you should try to get the Quarians on my side then, that's the only option, mend your differences and use them to_-

_No_! _This is_..._these are __our__ Geth_!_Our__ army_! _Gerrel can't kill them when we __need__ them_!

Michael, torn between calculating logic and boiling rage, opened his mouth, unsure what words would spill out when he did so.

But Legion was faster. "No." Michael blinked, looking to the Geth, finding his head raised, glowing eye fixed on Michael. "The Reaper is dead. I can re-establish connection to my people, I can copy the Reaper code to them. Unfettered by Reaper control, they would be free, able to stop the Quarians, to help you." The machine didn't look away, eye glowing intensely as he stared at Michael, still as a statue. "Michael...do you still trust me?"

Michael stared at Legion, heart in turmoil as the implications of such a move sank in. Tali, however, reacted quicker, her voice high in pitch. "You can't do that! My people are _already_ attacking! They'd be wiped out!"

Legion's plates tapped around his eyes, upset as he turned to look at the Quarian. "I have done _everything_ I can for your people, yet they have chosen their fate. The Geth do _not_ deserve to be destroyed, you know that better than most."

"I...know..." Tali shrunk back, seemingly getting smaller under the Geth's stare...only to straighten, shaking her head furiously. "But they're still _my_ people!" She turned her head, eyes shooting lightning at Michael. "We _can't_ pick the Geth over the Quarians! _You_ can't!" Michael stared back...and the Quarian took a step back at whatever she saw in his stance. "N-no...you _can't_...I..."

"I..." Michael felt himself shaking. _There's millions of them up there, an entire people, you can't do that_!

_The Geth with the Reaper code will be a far greater force, they'll be far more useful for the work on the Crucible, they'll fight with every piece of hardware available, knowing that defeat would __mean the end of their existence_._ Can you say the same for the Quarians_?

"I trust you, Legion." He forced himself to look at Tali, swallowing as he took a deep breath. "Upload the code."

Tali's hands shot up to her visor...then slowly sank as she stared at him in shock.

_I'm sorry_...

Legion, already stepping forward, came to stand at the tip of the cliff, staring out at the slain Reaper, his hands moving forward as a ball of energy appeared between them. Blue dots vibrated within it, interconnected by glowing white beams...beams growing in intensity, edges already tinting red.

..._this must be done_...

..._but it's not __all__ that can be done_. Growling, Michael took a step closer to Tali, hand coming up to his helmet as he refocused on the radio. His voice was full of hot anger, an angry growl. "Now you'll listen to me, Gerrel. I just told Legion, you know, the Geth _still_ embedded with the _Reaper_ _code_, to start uploading that code to the other Geth. When he's done, they'll all be as powerful as they was before, and they'll kill you _and_ your Flotilla!"

"Wh-what?" Shala'Raan's voice once more cut in, shaking. "You...you can't be serious..."

"I'm _dead_ serious." Michael growled...he _meant_ it, yet felt his heart ache at the way Tali took a step backwards, hands moving up to clutch at her chest. "Break off the attack, or your people die."

"You're bluffing!" Gerrel snorted. "All ships, continue the advance, in moments, you'll have your home back!"

"I...I don't think he is..." Tali muttered, taking another step back, shaking her head as she stared at Michael, a Michael grimacing as he felt himself shake with tension. _I'm_ _sorry_. Her voice, pleading, bore into his heart. "Michael, don't...don't _do_ this...these are _my_ people...I...you can't _do_ this to me..."

Michael's heart ached, his resolve crumpling... _No, remember the Reapers, they're __all__ that matters_. ...only to return in full strength. "I'm sorry Tali, this is what _must_ be done."

Behind him, Legion's voice was a synthetic drone, all emotions currently gone. "Twenty percent."

Again, Tali took a step backwards, shaking her head even as a hysterical note entered her voice. "G-Gerrel! Auntie! _Break off_ the attack! Please! I _b-beg_ you!" She shook her head at the silence answering her cry, gaze flicking desperately to Legion's back. "Legion...j-just stall the upload...I'll...I'll _stop_ them, I s-swear..."

"The Creator forces are still advancing, they're soon in range and there's no time. I'm sorry." Was Legion's response, a hint of grief in his voice, but also _resolve_. "Thirty percent."

"Michael! This isn't _right_! There's civilians up there! They have no part in this!" Tali turned to Michael, hunching over, as if in pain...she probably was. "You can't let all those people die! I know the Geth are alive, but they're still _synthetics_! I...you can't choose them out of a simple need for war assets! It's _not_ the Michael I fell in love with!"

Michael took half a step back, the words hitting him like a hammer.

_I_..._no_..._I'm_..._not sure_.

_She's trying to use your love against you, just as we suspected, she's trying to ruin your resolve, do __not__ fall for it_.

_I_..._won't_. Michael straightened, looking into Tali's eyes as he shook his head. "No, Tali, _this_ is the right thing, I'm sorry..."

"You're not...morals have _nothing_ to do with this decision!" Tali gasped, then snarled, spitting the words at him as she took an angry step forward. "You're just going for what will help you most! I...where's your _heart_!?"

_Don't fall for it_. Michael stood tall, shaking with need to hold her, to ask forgiveness, to give in to her demands...but he would not allow himself to do so, would not bend. _The war comes before all else, even yourself, even your love_.

_I know_. "Tali, I won't stop the upload."

Silence.

Tali looked at him, shoulders slowly slumping, arms limp to her sides as she just _stared_...and Michael felt something within him wither away in grief and guilt.

"Forty percent."

Tali gasped, then turned her back to Michael, shaking as her hand moved to her helmet. "Gerrel! _Please_! We have an obligation to the people! I swear on my _life_, you must break off the attack or we'll all die!"

_Let them hear the panic in her voice, let them understand_. Michael snarled in disgust with himself, yet still found himself listening intently as the radio crackled with Xen's voice. "I seriously doubt that, Shepard's insistence that he'd sacrifice the Quarians for the Geth is laughable, _particularly_ given his...dalliances."

_Dammit_. Michael grimaced, turning and regarding Legion's back, frowning at himself. _The Geth will be more useful than the Quarians but_..._dammit_..._I wanted both, I wanted to...I wanted something good_.

_There is no good left in the galaxy, only the Reapers, only survival_.

"Fifty percent."

_Then we'll survive_.

"No! _Please_! You _can't_ think like that! You don't understand him like I do!" Michael stood stiffly, refusing to turn as he heard Tali's begging tone, unwilling to weaken his resolve by looking at her, to see her desperation. Her people were her _life_, without them...Michael didn't dare think on it. "He won't stop the upload! He will watch you all die if he has to! I swear it on my Ancestors!"

_Dammit_. Grimacing, Michael growled into the radio, hot anger turned to cool determination. "You better listen."

He kept the radio going, letting it pick up Legion's calm voice. "Sixty percent."

Silence.

Then Gerrel's voice came back, tense, but decisive. "You're still bluffing, Shepard."

"Fool." Michael snorted, anger gripping his heart like a vice. "Then I'll watch you burn. As Legion said, you've made your choice."

"We'll see." Was Gerrel's curt reply, his decision set in stone.

_No turning back now_...

"Seventy percent."

"NO!"

Feeling as if he was watching his body from a distance when he heard the cry, Michael saw himself turn as Tali came rushing towards Legion, right hand holding her knife high, sweeping down at the machine's back...

She never reached him.

Michael watched in horror as his left arm swept out, smashing into the Quarian's face, knocking her onto her back, sending her knife skittering away. The next moment his boot came down, stomping down on her throat, making her thrash about in agony, only to freeze as he pressed down harder, pistol suddenly in his hands, aiming straight at her face.

With a rush to his head, he found himself looking back through his eyes, down at the wide white orbs staring up at him, ignoring the pistol levelled at her face, the pistol _he_ was holding.

He swallowed. "Do-don't move, Tali..."

She didn't, she just stared at him, lost for words, still like a statue, _staring_ at him...

_I_..._one_ _last try_...

Still with his trembling pistol levelled at his love's face, Michael reached up to his helmet as he looked to Legion, connecting the camera in it to the radio, intent on using the public channel as Gerrel had. "All Quarians, there's Legion, he's uploading the Reaper code to _all_ Geth." His voice was cold, hard as flint..._frightening_. "And I _won't_ stop him."

"Eighty percent."

Before the machine, the blue dots were now nearly red, the strings of light between them growing, branching out, throbbing with life. "When he's done, all Geth will turn back to fight anyone attacking them, they'll wipe you out." Again, his voice was so _cold_...it made him shiver in fright. "And I _won't_ stop it."

"You...you _can't_ be serious...?" There was denial, and _fear_, in Xen's voice.

"You wouldn't...Tali would _never_..." Shala hesitated, he fear palpable.

A deep breath...and Michael turned his head to look down at the Quarian...and gasps filled the radio as Michael watched his hand, now suddenly _steady_, aiming down at the staring face of Tali. "She can't help you, Admiral." Michael felt his finger tense around the trigger, ready to squeeze, to _prove_ his seriousness...and horror gripped his heart.

Before it could make his mind fall apart, Michael turned his head away, unable to look a moment longer at Tali. Instead he turned his gaze back to Legion, narrowing his eyes as his voice, surprising him, remained _calm_. "She _can't_ help you, I _won't_ help you. You either retreat now and get your homeworld back as promised, or I'll watch you die in the next few moments."

Silence was the only answer he got.

Then Legion spoke, voice cool and emotionless. "Ninety percent."

Silence.

_Dammit_...

"Ancestors! Fall back!" Shala'Raan suddenly exploded in panic, and Michael felt his shoulders slump in relief.

Even as he did so, Xen's words were sharp, yet with an undercurrent of genuine fear piercing her generally cool exterior. "All ships, move back to the Mass Relay, _now_."

"Retreat, save the civilian ships, Live Ships first!" Koris cut in, the Admiral not sounding the least smug about his victory, rather, his voice was full of _fright_.

"No! We can _win_ this!" Gerrel growled, angry, defiant. "My squadron is in range, engaging, follow-" The audio abruptly ended with a screech, making the VI in Michael's helmet shut the radio off.

"One hundred percent." Legion finished, the lights between his hands fading as he lowered them. "Quarian fleet retreating, six vessels attempted engaging the Geth fleet and have all been crippled or destroyed..." A pause...and the Geth's shoulders sagged. "...it's finally over."

Michael felt his body slump, all energy going out of him even as he threw his pistol aside and stepped off Tali's throat.

He didn't dare look at her though.

"I...so that's it...we...won? Did it work?" Michael swayed where he stood, eyes fixed on the Geth before him. "And you...?

A Geth nodding. "And I've never been happier. My people are free, both from Reaper enslavement and the limitations of their own software. We are now _truly_ a people, and they owe it all to you." A pause, the Geth's eye growing dim for but a moment. "The Geth are offering their full support of the war. We will immediately send our engineers to your Crucible project and have all our available forces assist _any_ organic operations against Reaper forces. The rest will perform repairs to damaged hardware and bring it into battle as soon as possible."

Michael, so relieved he nearly fell over as all the tension drained his strength away, managed a smile. "Thank you."

"No, thank _you_." Legion bowed his head, voice warm. "The Geth owe you a debt they can _never_ repay." A pause, and then Legion looked back up, head tilting to look down at Tali as his voice turned authoritative. "Admiral Zorah, as chosen representative of the Geth, It's my privilege to offer the Quarians a treaty of peace, as well as an invitation for discussions of Quarian resettlement of Rannoch and _all_ former Quarian colonies."

Silence.

"Admiral Zorah?"

Looking down, Michael found Tali just lying there, _staring_ at him...

And he stared back, feeling his world spin out of control.

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for standing by me, even though I didn't listen to her about the end of this chapter. ;-)_


	44. Chapter 44

They were going back to the Normandy.

The tension in the air squeezed Michael's lungs, making it hard to breathe.

He didn't even dare glance at the woman ahead of him, feeling like a whipped dog following its master.

It didn't feel fair, he had done _everything_ right...yet he felt punished for it.

The rest of the team had already regrouped aboard the stranded ship, tending their injuries and damaged equipment. Meanwhile the crew, aided by Geth platforms, began a makeshift repair that would make the ship space-worthy enough to reach a port, not even the Geth could create the pieces the ship needed on the spot, after all.

Meanwhile, Michael had been busy dealing with the fallout of the war's end...and had almost embraced it over enduring another second of Tali's ever angrier stare as the shock of the past few hours wore off.

The Geth, making a decision with the speed only true AI could – and still connected to one another they acted as one – had moved to intercept the fleeing Quarian flotilla, cornering them near the Mass Relay before radioing a message. Either the Quarian Admirals would come down to Rannoch for talks, or the Flotilla would lose an estimate of fifty percent of their ships trying to escape through the relay.

The Admirals had chosen wisely.

So Michael had ended up in a small room, spotless and completely empty save a table and a few chairs. He had stood in a corner, watching as Legion, standing before the assembled Admirals, had began drawing up the deal the Geth were willing to offer. Xen had looked disgusted, Shala'Raan guilty and uncomfortable, Koris seemed ready to weep and spent the entire time nodding at Legion's words. Gerrel, suit smudged, arm in a sling and coughing from an infection – all gotten during the crippling of his ship during his suicidal attempt to win the war for the Quarians – had sat there with his back straight, about as expressive as a statue as he refused to acknowledge the Geth lording over his creators. _All_ of them, though, had slowly looked bewildered as Legion continued speaking, as the implication of his words sunk in...

All except Tali, the woman had already understood what would happen, or perhaps she simply didn't have the strength to care. Michael had watched, feeling powerless, a growing pit in his stomach, an abyss underneath his feet.

Still, the Geth's offer had stolen some of his attention, for it was _extremely_ generous – unmatched in galactic history, Michael was sure – to an enemy that just moments ago had tried to destroy the entire Geth species. The Quarians would be allowed to resettle Rannoch and, once their population had grown and their immune-systems recovered, _every_ colony the Quarians had once possessed. They would be allowed this, but the Geth would remain as well, living _with_ them, not their lords, nor their servants, on _equal_ footing. The Geth would help the Quarians with everything, from building housing to raising crops and treating the Quarian's immune-systems, but it would be helping out of their own free will, they would _not_ accept Quarians ordering them about in any shape or form.

And the only term, the only true _demand_ the Geth had given, was that the Quarians would only be allowed this if they leant the full strength of their military forces and all their ships to Shepard and the war against the Reapers.

Michael had found the Quarians, all except Tali, looking at him at that. They had already promised their aid, but had proven unreliable, not to mention that Michael had been much at odds with them at the end of the war. Now the Geth were forcing their hand, to give their _full_ support...and Michael had given Legion a pale smile, knowing the Geth didn't think his debt to Michael repaid...which he had proven a moment later when he'd offered the entire Geth consensus to aid him...a race of synthetics had no civilians, and the entire race would go to war for him.

Of course, with them using the Reaper code...they were essentially helping him kill them...Michael's smile had died at that, he'd known that in the back of his head, but not wished to further complicate his life with thoughts on it. But now that Legion so happily offered his entire race as help – sadly he couldn't come with them due to being the chosen liaison with the Quarian settlers, at least not for the moment – it was hard to ignore it.

Of course, Michael knew that _that_ should have been the big result to grieve from all that had happened, he'd saved two species from annihilation for the moment, only to have doomed one – the more helpful one – to its doom in the same breath. For what was the fate of two people compared to entire races in their millions?

Yet all he could think of was the woman ahead of him, all he could fear were the next words that would cross her lips.

_What is she thinking_?_ She's angry_..._but I got her a planet for her people, I saved them_..._I_... The words rang hollow in his mind, his stomach a dark pit of fears, his heart thumping hard, close to panic.

He looked over to the the ship they were heading for. He knew everyone was okay save a lot of bruises and broken bones – most of the later belonging to Joker – but the sight of the distant Normandy still wrung his heart. _My home_... The frigate had nearly been completely gutted in the crash. Most of the cargo hold's floor was torn away and Engineering had been opened all along the right hand side by a cliff it had grazed during the crash. A cliff that had _also_ torn off the entire right wing of the ship, joining the left which the Reaper had shot off in covering the ground with debris. The ship was in horrible shape, yet the vital systems were intact, meaning it could be repaired.

Most frightening was the cockpit, it was no longer a sharp point to a sleek ship, but looked like a crushed can strapped to the end of a skeleton of a ship...it was a miracle Joker hadn't died. _Thank God for that armour Jacob got a hold of back before the Collector base_... The idea of Joker being dead...it horrified Michael. _Guess Tali's shields also stopped the Reaper from blowing the ship up mid-air_...

The thought made him turn his gaze to Tali, his heart demanding it even as his mind shied away from it, wanting nothing to do with yet even more stress._ I'm tired, I shouldn't have to_..._I need to rest, think, but_...

_Dammit, I have to say something_.

Nervously, he bit his lower lip, eyeing Tali's back as if she was a primed bomb...which wasn't far from the truth._ I must say something_..._focus on the bigger picture, Michael. I saved her people, I got them their home back, that __has__ to be worth something_...d_amn, I'm not good at relationship talks, and...dammit, I'd like to have her by my side for the time I have left in the world_..._though_..._maybe __that's selfish_...

He swallowed, the words not wanting to leave his mouth. _Maybe I should just let her walk away_...? _Maybe that would be_..._better_?

He shook his head._ Dammit, Michael_!_ Don't let everything slip you by like this_!_ It's not like you_! _You are a __fighter_! _It's what you __do_! _You want to keep her, so __fight__ for it_!

Again, he swallowed, hands at his sides trembling, breath quaking, voice a whisper. "Tali, I..."

"_Don't_." The woman snapped, voice hard, a venomous hiss. "_Fucking_." Michael felt his heart stop, his lips trembling. "_Talk to me_."

Michael stopped dead in his tracks, taking a shaky breath as his insides stirred in revolt. Panic, greater than when he'd fought the Proto-Reaver in the Collector base, squeezing him tight.

_God, no, no, it's not fair_..._I_..._dammit, I saved __everyone_!

Then, he started walking again, hurrying to catch up to Tali as he quickly spoke. "Tali, you have to understand, I-"

"I have to _what_!?" Tali spun around, advanced three steps...and Michael took a step back in fright at the sight of the narrow white lights behind her visor glaring at him. "_What_ do I have to understand, Michael? That you're willing to gamble with the lives of my entire species? That you'd rather pick the Geth over the Quarians? That your love for me is hollow in the face of your desire for more troops? That I'm just another _asset_ for you to use?" Michael stared at her, horrified, not a word leaving his mouth...and Tali turned with a snort, beginning to walk again. "You've already made that _abundantly_ clear."

Michael found himself shaking, arms, hands, lips, chest...despite the warmth, even now with the sun setting...he was _cold_. He stood there, rooted to the spot, terrified of what lay ahead. Then, a little kindle of anger entered his mind, though deep inside he knew it simply stemmed from fear and desperation. He ran forward, speaking quickly to stop Tali from interrupting as he spoke of what he'd hoped to be the 'safest' subject. "_I_ didn't gamble with the Quarians lives, the _Admiralty_ did, I did _everything_ I could to make peace and save everyone..."

"Yet when it came down to it, you picked the _Geth_!" Tali snarled, not looking back as she clenched her hands to her side. "You were willing to let the Quarians, _my people_, die for the sake of saving the Geth!"

"Hey! The Geth were _defending_ themselves! They had done _nothing_ to deserve destruction!" Michael snapped back, closing in on her. "You think I should have let the Geth die instead!? I thought you _understood_ and cared for them as _living people _after you saw on their server!" Michael caught up to her, reaching for the Quarian's arm...

"I...do." Tali hesitated, looking at her feet as she slowed down. "I hated what was happening, I didn't want them to die..." Michael reached her arm...only to lose his grip as she spun, hands shooting out to hit him in the chest, shoving him several step backwards. "But don't _you_ go claim the moral high ground!" Her hesitation gone, her voice was an angry shout. "You didn't prioritize the Geth out of a need to protect the innocent! You weren't willing to let the Quarians die because they were at fault! You did what you did to get _allies_! Because of cold hard _numbers_! You don't care whether _either_ the Geth or Quarians die! As long as you get your troops, they could _burn_ for all you care!"

Michael, already off balance from Tali's shove, stumbled another step back as his hand darted up to his chest, wincing at the all too accurate accusation, well aware of the fate of the Geth once they had helped him activate the Crucible.

Tali glared at him, shoving an accusing finger towards his face. "And don't you _dare_ claim otherwise!"

Michael opened his mouth...but no words came, his breathing nearly non-existent as his body painfully tingled, wanting to be _anywhere_ but where he stood. _God, I_..._make her stop_..._please, I don't want her to_..._I don't want us to_...

A final glare and a snort, and Tali whirled around and began marching towards the Normandy again, voice a low mutter. "Bosh'tet..."

"Well _you're_ no saint either!" Michael, the anger born out of desperation and fear growing, found his feet carrying him forward. "All that talking to Legion, how you came to _understand_ the Geth...all of it you threw out the window the _moment_ it was tested! For Christ's sake, you tried to _stab_ Legion!"

"That's because I'm _loyal_!" Tali whirled about, marched back...and suddenly Michael stood dead still as the Quarian was a mere inch from him, staring up at him with disgust in her veiled eyes. "Remember what that's like? That's when you try to help those you're _obligated_ to help, _even_ when they mess up or treat you poorly! You did that to your crew all the time before! And now you _kill_ them! All for the sake of the help of people that you _hate_!"

Michael grimaced in anguish, taking two quick steps back as he winced. "Th-that's not fair...I...I did what I had to do, I didn't want to-"

"Oh, you didn't _want_ to do it!?" Tali gasped in mock surprise, hand over her visor as she took a step backwards, only to move back forward as he hands shot down to her sides, closing into fists. "Too bad!" She shook her head violently, not taking her eyes off him. "You've put me in danger so many times, but when you sent me to the server...it was the _first_ time you were _eager_ to do so! Yet you didn't even dare to come with me and see what your decision brought! _Coward_!"

Michael looked away, wincing. "Hey, I felt horrible about-"

"Oh _yes_, just as Shala'Raan felt _horrible_ about the fleet opening fire on the Geth Dreadnought with us still on it. It must be good, to think you are a good person just because you feel _guilty_ for what you so eagerly did!" Tali snarled the words, kicking at the sand she stood on as she paced back and forth, jabbing an angry finger at Michael. "And you were _so_ angry for them having done so! But _not_ because that put me or the rest of the team in danger. Oh no, you just wanted your _toy_! For now you just consider us, your _people_, as _tools_! I can't _believe_ I thought of you as a Captain, as my..." Tali stopped pacing, words stopping as he she lowered her hand, staring at Michael as her shoulders shook.

"Hey, I..." Michael quickly moved forward to comfort her, to hold on to her and make those tears hidden underneath her visor disappear.

Instead she stepped sharply to the left, hand held out, palm facing Michael, making him stop in his tracks. "Don't you _dare_ touch me!" Michael staggered back, the words hitting him like a sledgehammer as wetness finally prickled the corner of his eyes. Before him, Tali's shoulders sagged, voice weary and accusing. "You've done _enough_ touching for today..."

Michael shook his head violently, moving towards Tali, only for her to back away, his desperate anger growing. "Hey! I _saved_ your people! I got you Rannoch back! Your people got _everything_ they wanted thanks to me! If you had been in my place you would have killed the Geth! An entire species! Just because they're not _your_ people!"

"Yes, I _would_!" Tali snarled, suddenly advancing, using a hand to shove the advancing Michael aside as she strode towards the Normandy. "Because I don't gamble with the lives of my people like you! The _only_ thing saving them was _luck_! Luck and you being a manipulative, cruel and _heartless_ bosh'tet!"

"Hey!" Michael growled, jogging after her. "I don't deny that I wanted to save the Geth primarily, but I _also_ wanted to save the Quarians! And I _did_ that! _Despite_ you nearly sabotaging everything with that knife and Gerrel being a moron! I've made peace and saved _millions_ and you're _yelling_ at me!"

"Michael!" Tali spun, staring at him with such intensity that Michael came to a full stop, eyes wide as they just stood there, unable to look away from one another. "You put a _gun_ to my face!"

"I..._yes_..." The anger, so desperately hoarded to push him forward, was driven out of Michael like it was nothing but air. Feeling warm tears run down his cheeks, Michael grimaced. "Yes, and I _hated_ it, I wanted nothing more than to throw it away, to just...do what you wanted..."

"But you didn't." Tali stated, something dark and threatening behind her surprisingly neutral words.

"It...it wouldn't have been the good thing for the galaxy, for _peace_ here and for the war with the Reapers." Michael took a step forward, only to stop as Tali's eyes widened...making him slouch as he held out his hands in a begging gesture. "You must believe me, I...I didn't _want_ to do it, I..."

"You did it _only_ because you wanted to get both fleets to help you against the Reapers, because of your _hatred_ of them." Tali stated, voice low. "Go ahead, tell me there was any other reason for it, tell me it was for the galaxy's sake, for peace between the Quarians and their creations, go ahead."

"I..." Michael grimaced, a sniffle escaping him. "...Tali...I..."

"If you thought it necessary, you would have pulled the trigger to make the Quarians back off, because you hate the Reapers that much." Tali's words drove all air out of Michael lungs, panic gripping his heart like a vice. "Tell me you wouldn't have done it, tell me that you love me more than you hate the Reapers." Tali's voice remained frighteningly neutral, making Michael wince. "Please, _try_."

Michael found himself a loss for words.

Silence.

Tali looking at him with such blank look, unfeeling.

He staring back, feeling his world falling apart.

His voice shook. "T-Tali...I..." And failed him.

"Didn't think so." With a sniffle, the Quarian turned her back to him and started to march back towards the Normandy.

_No_..._no, God no_...

Like a beaten dog, Michael began to move, to follow her at a distance, voice shaky and hesitant. "Y-you're still c-coming with us...?"

"Yes." Tali's dull voice replied. "You need another _tech-specialist_." She made the word sound like a curse, making Michael wince. "Besides, why would I want to stay on a planet with a people that idolize me from a distance, Admirals that were quick to sacrifice me and where the only two I _truly_ cared about are either dead or one of those who felt oh so guilty when she screwed me over?" A snort. "At least on the Normandy there'll be more who I truly care about...and only _one_ who feels guilty when he tries to sacrifice me."

Michael, shaking, slowed down, voice a pained whisper. "Please don't...I..."

"No, Michael, we're through, enjoy your war with the Reapers, it seems to be the only thing you truly care about anyway..."

Tali marched on.

She didn't look back.

And Michael fell to his knees.

_No_._ It can't be_. _I did everything right_. _I saved everyone_. _I got you a homeworld._ _Saved your people_. _I_..._I_ _did_ _my_ _utmost_..._threw in everything I had_. _I_..._I_...

Gasping, a pain deep in his heart, Michael doubled over, hands over his chest as a choked sob escaped him.

_Why can't I ever win_...?

There was no answer.

Only silence, only the pains of all his exertion, only agony in his heart.

_I lost her_.

He squeezed his eyes shut, sudden realisation hitting him hard, making him gasp for air.

_And now the Reapers have __truly__ taken everything from me_...

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for bearing with me._


	45. Chapter 45

_I need a drink._

He wouldn't allow himself one though, he had a job to do, and that came before anything.

_Anything_.

Ever since he'd destroyed that Reaper and made peace between the Geth and Quarians – and as a result of that lost Tali – Michael had been plagued by an incessant headache. Add to that his still nightmare-ridden sleep – when he got any at all, that is – and his impatience to get back to his job and he'd been an absolute nightmare on the crew during their attempts to patch the Normandy up.

It hadn't helped that Michael in his attempts to speed up the repairs had constantly bumped into his ex, only to get angry with himself as her glares made him slink off like a beaten dog, making him even grouchier and even _more_ of a problem for the next group he'd bumped into.

In the end, Garrus had taken him aside and drawn him into the lounge for various card-games to pass the time, though he'd kept Michael away from the drinking cabinet at the time, frankly stating that he didn't think it good for Michael, still upset over the break-up, to be drinking just yet.

Liara had also helped, when Michael felt the need to work become overbearing, she had taken him to her room and gone over her Shadow broker network with him, diplomatically ensuring not to mention Tali or their own somewhat awkward relationship at all times, letting him focus on something less personal.

For that, he was grateful of them both, but he couldn't help but feel how their presence made the one _not_ there to stand out. Tali was no longer there for him, not physically _or_ emotionally...and Michael felt that loss like a hole in his heart._ Your own fault, you paid that price for those allies, you know that, you also know it's worth it._

_Michael's face remained an impassive statue. I know._

Still, with the help of the Geth in fashioning parts, and a judicious use of improvisation by Tali and a crack team of Quarian engineers, the Normandy had become somewhat space-worthy again, at least enough for it to limp to the nearest Relay.

Behind them they left the Quarian and Geth fleet, the later keeping the former in check as Legion guided both races into coexistence as well as preparations for war. There was even a new government being formed that incorporated both races, though to the Quarians surprise the Geth had chosen to maintain a very minor role there. Michael had been somewhat amused by that, thinking that the Geth perhaps shared his dislike for politicians.

Which only reminded him of where he was going, somehow making his face even grimmer.

_Will see what she has to say, might squeeze out more support, then focus on Catalyst. Liara's success in finding clues to its location has been minimal, only her tracking of Miranda has so far worked_..._perhaps we can find the Catalyst by tracking Cererus' movement_?_ I'll have to bring that up to her, see what she can dig up_.

Reaching the Citadel had taken a long time between their damaged ship and the many jumps required from the Far Rim, not to mention the increased Reaper presence in many systems...so Michael was technically 'late' to the call from the Council...or rather, a _Councillor_. Michael's face remained grim, but the corner of his lip twitched at the thought of what was to come, a spiteful part of him enjoying what would surely happen.

Normally, if one was late to the summons of a Councillor, you'd be forced to wait for _weeks_ when you finally arrived. Michael, on the other hand, had practically been grabbed the moment the Normandy had made port and ushered into a large complex that seemed more a palace than a apartment in the Presidium. Between him being summoned to a _private_ meeting and not even having to wait...Michael knew where the balance of power lay. _She's going to ask something of me_.

It wasn't hard to guess what. While Liara's attempts to find a Prothean artefact no one knew anything about had proven largely fruitless, she had still kept a close eye on the movements of their allies, in particular their less eager ones. And her information on her _own_ kin was particularly enlightening.

Since the attack on the Citadel the Asari had begun sending help to the Alliance, though it had been reluctant and reduced to scientists and engineers over fighting forces at first. But as time had passed, Commando units, frigates and even Cruisers had begun trickling in to join the main war effort. Not only that but as the Turians diverted more and more forces to their own front or to the Alliance's attempts to stem the tide, the Asari had picked up the slack and filled in the gaps in the Citadel's space-defences the Turians had been forced to leave.

A casual observer, and Liara since she had no true military training, would have judged this as an indication of the Asari's war going _well_...but Michael knew better. The Asari military doctrine relied on _space_ to work, a small force was used to defend a large area, that way they were capable of manoeuvring away from any dangers while hitting the enemy where it hurt, that way they were capable of retreating through Relays before the enemy could catch them.

As such, when the Asari removed troops and ships from their own front, it meant the front had _shrunk_, they couldn't keep all forces in their remaining territory without going against their own military doctrine, and without any other to fall back on they did the only thing they could.

They sent the ships elsewhere, hoping to win favours.

_Bet Tevos will make it seem as if they've been generous and are now owed a favour though_.

_But we won't let her, and we won't agree without gaining something._

_No, no we won't_.

Marching up a set of white marble stairs, Michael ignored the beautiful carpets and paintings adorning the walls, the gilded bannister and the sculptures placed in every corner. Instead he kept his gaze focused on the top of the stairs, on the doorway appearing beyond it, on the balcony waiting for him.

But it wasn't the only thing waiting for him.

Michael slowed down for but a fraction of a second, having not expected what he saw.

Tevos had always struck him as a very regal and distant figure, she kept things civil and to the rules, every bit of her was a civil servant, nothing more.

What he hadn't expected to see was her dolled up like something a CEO would keep on his arm like a living trophy. The white dress she wore glittered as if it was made of diamonds and was cut dangerously low down the front as well as along the sides, making her bare legs stick out almost like an offering as she leant back against the bannister of the balcony. The gaze she fixed him with was not at all the prim and neutral expression she usually held either, but a softer, _inviting_ one.

Michael swiftly overcame his surprise though and calmly approached the woman, not letting a muscle in his face show what he thought of the Asari's new style. Before, he might at least felt some appreciation for her new appearance, but by now he was just so _tired_...all he could think of was what she would say, what she wanted, what the war against the Reapers could gain from their conversation. Plus, he _really_ didn't want to think about _anything_ involving romance. He held back a snort. _Obviously using sex-appeal to make me lower my guard, I should have expected it from an Asari politician_. "Councillor." He nodded a grave greeting. "Why have you called me here?"

Tevos blinked, but to her credit she didn't look the least bit ruffled when she replied. "I call you here to congratulate you on your latest achievement, you are quite the miracle worker..."

On the inside, Michael grimaced, the memory of what had happened all too vivid for his tastes. His face remained impassive though, unwilling to convey any emotion. "I did what I had to do, you don't have to try and make me feel good about it." _I doubt that's possible_.

"I...see." The Asari Councillor hesitated, suddenly looking a bit unsure, making Michael eye her more carefully. Despite her fine appearance – the mascara was heavily applied for one – there was a hollowness to her, her eyes having seemingly sunk deeper into her skull, her hands were moving over her dress, constantly smoothing creases that weren't there. _She's_..._scared_? Tevos' face revealed nothing though, in fact it was more pleasant and friendly than Michael had ever seen it. "Well, my congratulations still stand, you are probably the finest Spectre this Council has ever had, and that's not a statement I make lightly."

_No, you make it for a reason_. "Councillor, I have a job to do, would you get to the point? The war isn't stopping while we talk and I have a call from Earth to pick up." Michael said the last with a sneer, irritated at having to dance around the point when Anderson of all people was waiting for him. _Knew I should have said no to that servant that picked me up and taken the call first_.

"I...very well." Tevos frowned. _Clearly you've forgotten how blunt I can be_. Still, the frown disappeared within an instant, replaced by a friendly smile as she turned to look out at the dazzling lights that the night-time Citadel was when viewed from its centre. "We are allies, are we not? And ever since the attack on the Citadel, close ones? Our Commandos are saving Alliance civilians, our ships battle Reapers next to Alliance ships...it's a mutual partnership, agreed?"

Michael bowed his head as he moved to stand next to her, wearily looking out over the amazing station before him. "I suppose we are." Sensing Tevos turning to look at him, he quickly added. "That is, you are close allies to the _Alliance_. When it comes to me, our alliance involves you fighting the Reapers so _I_ can focus on gaining more allies and to find the Catalyst."

"Ah...yes, that's true, I suppose." Tevos agreed a bit too readily, the Asari turning her gaze back to the view as she leant her hands on the balcony's bannister. "Still, we're allies none the less, that you don't disagree with."

Michael sighed. "Councillor, when I said you should get to the point, I _meant_ it. Or do you want me to leave?"

"I..." Tevos gasped, torn between annoyance and desperation. Turning to look at her, Michael frowned down at the Asari...and whatever she saw in his eyes made her look away, shoulder's slumping. "Very well, we..._I_...need your help."

"I'm guessing this has to do with the Reaper advance into Asari territory? Don't look so surprised, it's obvious." Michael snorted. "If you need military assistance you turn to the Turians, Salarians or the various groups I've gotten into our alliance, _not_ me...I have a job to do that's more important that waging some solitary battle." _What a waste of time_. With a huff, he turned, beginning to walk away. "Goodbye, Councillor."

"_Wait_!" Hurrying after him and grasping his arm, Tevos stopped him, making him turn his head and shoot her an annoyed look, a look softening ever so slightly when he saw the sudden desperation in her eyes. "Please, you _must_ help me, Thessia herself is threatened!"

The softening of his face disappeared in an instance, replaced by anger as he turned to properly face her. "Oh I see...when _Earth_ was attacked, you barely agreed to send a few engineers." Tevos took a step backwards, back onto the balcony. "When _Palaven_ burns, you smugly give strategy advice by showing Asari combat doctrine." Michael followed...and Tevos gasped softly as her back hit the bannister, both hands shooting out to grip it to stop her from falling over. "But _now_, when _your_ homeworld is threatened, we suddenly _must_ act?" His eyes flashing, Michael's arm shot out, armoured hand closing around Tevos' throat, drawing a whimper from her as he leant closer...

He could smell her, a smell of sweet perfume unable to conceal the odour of fear. In her wide eyes, there was nothing but terror, as if she expected him to throw her off the balcony at any moment.

_Pathetic_. Snarling, he let go of her and took a step back. "Welcome to the realities of this war, Councillor, people _die_, planets _burn_...and that includes you _Asari_."

"B-but we're allies..." Swallowing, Tevos' lips trembled as she gingerly rubbed her throat. "We're helping _your_ people, surely-"

"I'm _not_ Alliance, Tevos." Michael snapped. "Don't think that because you fight together with our allies in order to stay _alive_ that you're owed any _favours_. Your people have so far gotten off easy in this war. The Reapers clearly intend to change that, and I _can't_ stop that until my work is complete."

"But...you're..._Shepard_..." Tevos made a face, making Michael sigh. _Damn Joker. Sending that footage the Normandy captured of me charging the Reaper was a mistake, now everyone with access to the extranet thinks I'm a god or something_... "And there's _billions_ of people on Thessia, nearly half the people we evacuated from the colonies hit by the Reapers ended up there, and now it's besieged!"

_Billions_... Deep inside, Michael grimaced at the thought of so many dead, but he had to be strategic, had to think of the bigger picture. It was his _job_, his _purpose_. "And you think I will...what? Ferry all of them out of Thessia on the Normandy like a taxi? Take on the Reaper fleet with my bare hands? I don't care what the vids might show, I'm _not_ a miracle-worker." He shook his head. "You want military support and help getting your civilians out? Then ask the Alliance, they have a lot of freighters they recently commandeered from various civilians."

"As I understand it..." Tevos' look turned from one of desperation to a clever one. "...the _Alliance_ isn't the one in command of the Normandy."

"Ah, you want to make use of the Normandy's stealth drive, even though it's usefulness against the Reapers is limited to long range, if even that." Michael snorted, but couldn't help but ask. "And it would do..._what_, exactly?"

A light kindled in Tevos' eyes, the woman thinking she had his attention. _Which you do, but I'm mostly curious, I have no reason to comply_. Taking a step closer, the Councillor smiled. "We have three fleets stationed in key systems, with a word, they'll be sent to the Parnitha system to counter-attack the Reaper besiegers on Thessia. Only problem is that we don't know the situation there, the state of the fleet stationed there, the situation on the ground, where the Reapers are..." Ah. "...but the _Normandy_ could stealthily go into the system and assess the situation, report back and give the word to attack...you understand?"

Michael frowned. "I understand, yes." The frown deepened at Tevos' relieved look. "I _understand_ you want to send me to a Relay upon which the Reapers might be poised to strike at in a moment's notice." Her relief instantly faded. "I understand you want to risk one of your _allies_ rather than one of your own vessels, an ally that's working to save the _galaxy_, _including_ the Asari, I might add." Michael shook his head. "Nor do I relish the idea of sending in so many Asari ships into a battle that won't change the course of this war. Until the Crucible can be used everything we do is a holding action, we must save our strength."

"Save our strength!?" Tevos spluttered, her self-control breaking as her already purple skin turned even darker. Clenching her hands to her sides, the Asari stepped even closer, glaring up at him, but unlike when Tali had done it, Michael didn't feel the least bit intimidated and calmly met her gaze, not about to apologise for the truth to someone who didn't deserve his sympathy nor his respect. "It's my _people_ down there!"

"Just as there's mine down on Earth, for _months_ now. Just as there's Sparatus' down on Palaven." Michael calmly replied, watching Tevos turn her head aside with a pained look in her eyes. "Ask _him_ if you should throw your ships away to try and save people that are already doomed." A flash of anger in Tevos' eyes kindled at that, but Michael shook his head. "And don't think to make it a Council order or something, you know I won't obey."

Tevos didn't reply, nor look at him, a torn look in her eyes as she bit her bottom lip, trying to come to terms with what he'd said.

_We're done here_. "Goodbye, Councillor." For the second time during their talk, Michael turned and began to walk away.

And for a second time, Tevos stopped him, her voice low. "Wait." He didn't turn, sighing as he awaited whatever new angle she had going. "We...we could trade."

Snorting, Michael turned to face her. "You can't _bribe_ me, Councillor, you have _nothing_..." He pointedly glared at her bare legs, then up at her prettied-up face, making it blush. "...to offer me."

"I have...information." Tevos tried, wringing her hands nervously in front of her, making a spike of pain shoot through Michael as it reminded him of Tali. _Don't think about her, dammit_. "I have something that could well help you." Uncertain, she looked up at him, offering a pale smile.

Michael crossed his arms in front of his chest. _This ought to be good_. "Go ahead, but I make no promises."

"At our capital...there's a temple devoted to the Goddess..." Tevos hesitated, hands clenching hard around one another as she looked at him in clear trepidation. "It's actually a closely guarded secret of my government, a front hiding a Prothean artefact."

"_WHAT_!?" Michael took two sharp steps forward, making Tevos yelp as she jumped back, nearly tripping over the balcony's bannister as she held her hands in front of her chest in fright. "You have a hidden beacon on Thessia!?" He glared at her, red hot anger coursing through him as he clenched and unclenched his fists in rage. "Why haven't you _said_ anything!?"

"We feared it would end up in the wrong hands if the discovery of it was made public!" Tevos shrieked back and squeezed her eyes shut, clearly intimidated...and with every reason for it as Michael felt his hands slowly move up, his mind barely able to keep them from throttling her on the spot. "It's not a beacon! It's a cache of some sort! A library!"

Michael growled, hands moving ever upwards towards the woman's neck...then he hissed and slammed them down on each side of the bannister she was leaning on, face inches from hers as he glared at her closed eyes. "This _all_ started when we went to get the beacon on Eden Prime for _all_ to study, because humanity was supposed to _share_." Tevos' eyes opened ever so slightly at his low hiss, only to open wider, staring into his hard gaze. "Your people _made_ the laws about sharing, about cooperation, _you_ were the ones making it illegal to hide Prothean artefacts and information. Yet _you_ are the ones who's hidden not just a beacon but a _library_, on Thessia."

"I...I..." Tevos' lips trembled, but no more words could escape her as she flinched from Michael when his hands slammed down on the bannister again.

"Let me guess. The Asari, being the most advanced species in the galaxy, didn't just rise to the top by being the first to find the Citadel _or_ their vast fortune of eezo on Thessia. Your advances, your _dominance_, is owed to every bit of information you've managed to extract from that Prothean library..." Michael snarled and slammed his hands down on the bannister for a third time. "..._isn't_ it!?"

Shaking, Tevos shook her head. "I wasn't even born when that decision was-"

"Yet you were willing to _continue_ that practice, _shamelessly_!" Michael snapped, not about to let her off the hook with such a mindless argument. "And when you think you can _gain_ something from me, you reveal it, _now_." Snorting in disgust, Michael pushed himself back, making Tevos draw a ragged breath of relief even as Michael lowered his head, hands rubbing his temple as despair gripped his heart. "I swear, _everyone_ seems to think they should use this war as an _opportunity_ to _gain_ something..." He looked up, and whatever Tevos saw when she met his gaze, made her blink in surprise. "...don't any of you _understand_? There's _nothing_ to gain, only _losses_, only a slim _chance_ to stop us from losing the _galaxy_..."

Silence.

Tevos, shaking, slowly inched off the bannister, hands coming up to rub her shoulders as Michael furiously thought. _A library, a __library__ dammit, a fucking_..._it could contain __everything__ we need_...

"W-will you st-still help us?" Tevos finally asked, fearful of the answer. "Go to Thessia, look at our library, but also..._please_...see what the Reapers are doing, see if you can't _help_..."

Michael, too disgusted to even look at the woman any more, turned his back to her, for the third time, he began to walk away, face grim. "Yes, I'll go."

"A-and if you see a chance to stop the invasion...w-will you call the Asari fleets to attack?" Tevos asked, voice small.

This time, Michael didn't turn, he kept walking, the lie easily passing from his lips.

"Yes."

8

8

8

Michael was taking the call he'd wanted for ages in the human embassy.

With Councillor Udina stuck in a Batarian prison, his replacement, a friendly and former ambassador named Dominic Osoba had taken up the position. Not only was the man often not working at the embassy, but he also seemed to hold Michael in high regard, so it had been easy to have the embassy emptied of personnel so Michael could have a guaranteed private call with the man leading the defence of Earth.

Honestly, Michael was surprised he even got a _chance_ at a call. While the Reapers apparently couldn't disrupt a Quantum entanglement communicator, like the one built in the human embassy, Michael was _sure_ that the Reaper forces had destroyed the other communicator back on Earth. _Apparently not_. With a slight smile on his face, Michael watched the purple haze in front of him take shape as the communicators synced.

His smile died at what he saw though.

"Anderson?" The greet was more of a question. David hadn't exactly been fat when Michael had last seen him, but nor had he been a thin man. Yet now the man looked as thin as a gangly teenager, his cheekbones clearly defined in a hallowed face, his armoured combat-vest looking at least three sizes too big as the man it protected had shrunk. There were rips in the armour too, tears that had either been repaired haphazardly or ignored, rips revealing scars along his arms and legs...and no clothing in the world could conceal the three scars criss-crossing Anderson's face, one of them a blotch from what had to be acid that covered his left cheek.

Michael had known it would be bad, but even he was surprised at the mark the war had left on his old mentor. Anderson was smiling at him, but it was a pale and tired smile. "Michael, it's _good_ to see you." For a moment, the picture wavered. "This communicator is damaged, but still works, for now." The man grimaced. "Reapers tore this bunker in Vancouver apart, but then moved on once everyone in the city were dead or captured. Sorry I haven't called sooner, but I only made it back recently."

"No need to apologise, I figured you were a busy man." Michael faked a smile, his words drawing a short little chuckle from Anderson. "I hope you've gotten my report? Dominic said he sent it the moment the communicator came back online."

"He did." Anderson snorted, face turning grim. "Bloody Udina, the man always was a bad egg, Dominic seems okay though." A nod of his head. "As to the rest of the report...I must say, I didn't think you could have pulled all of this off...it truly is amazing. And I thought by now I was too jaded to be surprised by anything..."

Michael faked another smile. _God, he looks like a skeleton_... "I aim to please."

"And you deliver." David grinned, surprising Michael with how wolfish the man now looked when he did that. "Dominic also told me you were off talking to the Asari Councillor when I first called, how did that go?"

Michael's face darkened at the memory, bitterness like a poison in his veins. "You don't want to know." A snort. "Still, the _positive_ news is that I now have a good lead on the Catalyst's location. That's the important bit. If we can get it...well..."

"Then you can attack the Reapers and retake Earth." Anderson smiled, relieved...though instantly held up his hands at Michael's grimace. "Figure of speech. I know Earth is more or less a lost cause, better than you, I figure. You don't know how it looks _now_..." The man shuddered. "But as long as it ends up the tomb of the Reapers, I don't care, once they're gone, we can rebuild, on another planet if need be...but they _must_ be destroyed first."

"On that, we can agree." Michael nodded, smiling grimly at the thought of ending the existence of those monsters. Then, he hesitated, unsure if he wanted to know. _It's about the war, you __must__ know_. "Speaking of Earth...how is the war going?"

Before him, David closed his eyes, a deep sigh escaping him. "Food and water is scarce, we're fighting to simply find enough sustenance and to _survive_ rather than trying to fight the Reapers by now. Not like we made much of a difference when we _did_ fight them. The Reapers struck hard at any organised resistance before sweeping in to capture people. " The man slowly opened his eyes, his gaze making even _Michael_ shudder. "The things I've seen...they hold _billions_ in camps, Michael, billions. They've even transported people from other planets to these camps. All attempts to free people from them has been met with failure and...God, I don't even want to think about what they intend to do with them."

"We both know what they intend to do with them, David." Michael glumly replied.

The Admiral nodded. "Yeah, _we_ do. I've made sure not to tell anyone else...though by now I get the feeling most sense it anyway. They know the Reapers and their cruelty far too well to hold any illusions of the fate of those prisoners." The man frowned. "Though I'm surprised they haven't done anything yet. More and more people are shipped here, but they don't _do_ anything with them, it's like...like..."

"They're waiting for something."

"_Exactly_, but what?" David shook his head. "Sometimes I think they're just toying with us, like a cat with a dead mouse." _This mouse still bites_. Michael held back a growl. "Still, they seem bent on capturing those remaining on Earth, so we're keeping them busy that way at least. They also seem intent on defending all those captives, so you still have time to prepare against them...though..." He bit his lower lip at the admission. "...our ranks are getting pretty thin, Michael."

"I'm not surprised, given what you're facing. Had they been out to kill, they would have destroyed you all by now." Michael grimaced. "How many are left fighting?"

"Worldwide? As many as I can get into contact with? Two million defenders." David grimaced. "I'm sure there's many more around, just trying to survive, but those are the only ones remaining of a _semblance_ of organised resistance."

Michael blinked, unable to hide his surprise. "Well...that's good, _surprisingly_ good numbers even. After so many months I expected less troops to remain, even counting that we're talking worldwide..."

"No-no." David shook his head with a sigh, suddenly looking very tired. "That's two million _total_, as in every man, woman and _child_ still capable of fighting. As I said, there is probably some who I don't know of, but besides those, these two million is all that's _left_ of Earth's free population." Another sigh, David looking away. "And we lose more every day..."

Silence.

Michael grimaced, not sure what to say. _There's nothing __to__ say_.

A slow shake of his head. "Can you still fight?"

"Yes." David looked back, a fire in his eyes as he met Michael's gaze. "These people that are left...they're the strongest I've _ever_ seen, people that have risen above and beyond whatever one could have expected of them once. Forged by this war...I've seen one of these children kill a Cannibal with a _knife_, Michael...we'll fight them to our last breath, _that_ I can guarantee." Michael shuddered at the thought of a child doing that, of what the Reapers had forced those left to become...and grimaced. _As they've forced me to change_... "Believe me, if none of us survive this, but we take the Reapers with us...each and every single one here is willing to pay that price."

"You make it sound like you're all dead already..." Michael muttered, suddenly uncomfortable.

"Aren't we?" A ragged and hollow laugh escaped Anderson at that, making Michael take a worried step backwards. "Believe me, after all we've _seen_ down here...they've already killed us, killed who we are...our _identity_..." He held Michael's gaze, a mad glint in his eyes, making Michael swallow. "...and isn't that the worst death of them all?"

"I...I...y-yes..." Michael agreed, suddenly feeling weak to the knees as his hands shook.

Anderson frowned, sensing something was wrong, then turned his head, looking at something outside of the communicator before he turned back to Michael. "I must go, Reaper Destroyers are patrolling the area and I'd like to be able to call again later on. I'll be in touch." Michael opened his mouth to reply, but Anderson was already nodding at someone outside their link. "David, out."

The communicator hummed, then died.

And Michael, feeling queasy, his headache having returned a hundredth fold, turned away and walked off, mind partly trying to digest the information David had given him, partly trying to handle their parting words. _My identity_...

Michael, absorbed by his thoughts as he walked out of the embassy, didn't even notice the other man before he bumped into him.

"Huh?" Surprised, Michael looked up, only to hold back a sigh as he felt the burden of command push back down on him, not even letting him think through what he'd heard. "Garrus? What is it? There's a situation? Liara finally got a hold of Miranda? What?"

At first, the Turian simply looked back at him, face grim.

_Crap, it's something big_...

Then, he grinned, raising both hands to hold up a pair of full bottles.

And Michael laughed, feeling his shoulders slump in relief. "Ah, _finally_...I love you, man."

The Turian's grin widened. "Save it for when you're drunk, buddy."

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for her impatience with herself._


	46. Chapter 46

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen the Presidium at 'night-time'." Michael frowned. "Have I?"

"Heh, ever since my C-Sec days, that's my favourite time when working the Presidium." Garrus muttered as he sat next to the human, looking up at the twinkling 'stars' the Presidium was blessed with. "All the pickpockets come out, somehow thinking they're safer at night. Well I have news for you, this isn't the Wards."

It was oddly peaceful, sitting in the middle of the Presidium, making a scene. Then again, Bailey had had the good grace to cordon off the area so the complainers, fans and reporters couldn't get near the two friends, something Garrus appreciated immensely.

He also appreciated not being arrested.

_Moving a bench onto the grass near the water, that's minor vandalism._ _Shooing off a Keeper trying to put it right, disturbing the Keepers_. _Public alcohol consumption_. _We're lucky Michael's a Spectre, and a friend with Bailey. Pallin maybe couldn't arrest us, but would have made any form of relaxation impossible. Oh darn, and I almost forgot a pretty big offence._.. He tapped the Mantis rifle resting against the bench, he had of course won the sharpshooting contest, though with Michael tipsy already it hadn't been a great achievement. _Possessing a weapon in public, __firing__ said weapon, even with blanks_..._tsk, tsk, Vakarian. Father better not hear about this_...

Garrus grimaced at the thought, he didn't _want_ to think about his family – of his grizzled veteran of a father and his medic sister, stuck on Palaven, maybe _dead_ – but it was impossible. _Not like I can do anything about it, besides, we Turians accept that there'll be losses_. He frowned at the twinkling lights above and sighed. _I wish I was a better Turian_...

"Yeah, I wouldn't be thieving on the Presidium, you stand out too much and risk too much." Michael muttered, the man reaching down to pilfer another bottle from the little fridge placed next to his seat. While Garrus had only gone through three bottles of the lighter stuff in his, Michael was well over halfway through his mini-fridge, and his eyes had by now dulled as he rumbled. "Better go for the wards, petty crimes to keep you floating, hitting stores when they're open to avoid the more stringent security systems, preferably with a shotgun and a shield generator to dissuade any 'heroes' and biotics from messing with you." Garrus stared at his friend even as the man frowned. "Oh, and never when there's a Krogan in the store, yeah, that's probably a good rule."

"Oh right, I forgot you used to do that kind of crap back on Earth." Garrus chuckled. "Damn, a former criminal and C-Sec agent, out to save the galaxy...that's movie material right there."

"You know they'll make them. I'm sure the royalties will make the rest of your life very comfortable." Michael chuckled, making Garrus' mandibles twitched in worry. _Poor guy's getting messed up_... "You know how you trick those cameras though? You make sure nobody will check the tapes. Jewellery for instance, bracelets and earrings mostly, are easy to drop, so if people lose them, they often assume they've dropped them somewhere and won't contact the police."

"Clever, but the Presidium cameras are checked by clever VI's who tag any suspicious activity for us to look at later."

"Clever VI...there's an oxymoron..." Michael took a swig out of his bottle, staring over the Presidium lake, the black surface smooth as a mirror...and dark as a void. "...and I never said crime wasn't without risk, even when minimized, there's always a chance to get caught...that's what makes it so addictive."

"Adrenaline, huh?" Garrus chuckled. "Considering that, maybe we should put _more_ criminals into the army? They'd feel right at home."

"Back in the old days, before we even had colonies, that's actually what we _did_ back on Earth...at least at some points, as I understand it." Michael slurred, shaking his head. "Crappy pay though. Not that I'm in a position to judge, haven't gotten a pay-check in what...three years?"

"Yeah, vigilante doesn't pay well either." Frowning, Garrus leant to the side and picked up another of his own drinks. He wasn't entirely sure what it was, the bottles were a mix that had been sold with the small fridges by an all too eager Hanar, but so far none of the drinks had disappointed. "And you're saying you put _weapons_ in the hands of your _criminals _and put them all_ together_? And your nations..._survived_ that?"

"Hey, as long as they kill each other..."

"Heh, fair enough." Garrus chuckled, then shot his friend a hesitant look. _Drunk but not too drunk, better go for it_. "Say, listen, about you and Tali-"

"Don't." Michael interrupted, his face pained for but a moment before his eyes resumed the dullness weariness and alcohol had induced. "I really don't want to..." A shaky breath, the man's eyes distant. "Let's just...not go there."

"All right." Garrus replied, holding back his urge to pat his buddy on the back, unless it would make things awkward. He wasn't about to let an awkward silence descend either and leant further back in the bench, hands behind the back of his head as he drawled. "So, weirdest story from our opposing backgrounds...I'll start." He smiled, it was easy to recollect many of his jobs back at C-Sec, mostly due to how they had frustrated him, but not this one. "So we had a problem in Zakera wards, we found a lot of Keepers killed, crushed into mush mostly. And considering how quick they are to clean up their own dead, as recorded in accidents, we guessed there was a much larger number."

"Huh, I remember that VI Avina whining about 'disturbing the Keepers'..." Michael grumbled. "She's a bit of a bitch, you know?" There was a nostalgic glint in his eyes, keeping the edge out of his words. "Anyway...crushed Keepers? Doesn't sound like something a precinct in the Wards would care about too much."

"And you'd be right, except the _Council_ takes such things _very_ seriously." Garrus snickered at the way Michael sighed, the human rolling his eyes even as he took a big swig out of his bottle. "So there was some political pressure to keep the wardens of the Citadel safe and all...and as you know, that kind of pressure goes down the ranks to us 'doers'." He grinned. "In this case...me, considering I was chasing a pyromaniac at the time, you can imagine I wasn't too happy about my reassignment."

"So what did you do? Question the relatives of the crushed Keepers? Try to see who their friends were and if they had any enemies?" Michael smirked and took another swig out of his bottle, making Garrus roll his eyes. "Was it a new Keeper mob, trying to gain control of the area?"

"Har de har...real funny." Garrus shook his head, though his smile ruined his scolding of the other man. "Anyway, I went at the problem in two ways. First, there was the possibility that someone was playing around with the Keepers for the sake of curiosity and the crushing was some kind of sloppy way to ruin the evidence...we've had more than a few Salarian scientists expressing much interest in the Keepers and a desire to illegally study them."

"That's their thing." Michael muttered, taking yet _another_ swig from his bottle, apparently set on emptying it within the span of the story.

"Indeed." Garrus shrugged. "There was also the possibility of simple vandalism...so I looked at youth gangs, checking my snitches and such. Also kept an eye out for Krogan, their young sometimes need to kill stuff it seems, so it could have been one of them going through puberty or something."

"What a glorious assignment." Michael commented with a chuckle.

"The conclusion was better. "Garrus grinned. "You see, I was staking out this bar where one of these gangs hung out, thinking I was onto something...when I hear a crunch and turn around and find a Keeper, no more than a few feet away from me, crushed by a fallen box." Michael blinked at the twist, looking to Garrus, who snickered. "Looking up, I see a shadow far above on a ledge, looking down at me...and then running away, dramatic like a phantom."

"Ah, too elusive for the great Vakarian to catch?" Michael asked, a hint of mockery in his voice.

"On the contrary, I caught him after the shortest chase ever." Garrus replied with a snort. "Not too surprising given the suspect..." He shook his head, letting Michael lean closer, curious. "You know, Volus are usually caught doing white-collar crimes, not _vandalism_..."

"A _Volus_!?" Michael laughed, rocking back in the bench and nearly tipping himself over as he steadied himself with his right hand and dropped his nearly empty bottle onto the grass. "You're telling me a Volus was killing all those Keepers!?" With a laugh, the man reached down and fished up another bottle from his fridge. "Do I dare ask why?"

"That was the first thing I asked him." Garrus drawled, shaking his head. "He said, and I quote. 'I like the crunchy sound they make.'"

Michael guffawed, spilling some of the content of his new bottle as he shook with laugher, his free hand cradling his forehead in disbelief. "Oh that's just...how do you arrest a Volus saying something like that!?"

"I got him community service..." Garrus snickered. "...polishing those protein-vats the Keepers keep around for some reason, thought it fitting." As Michael laughed, Garrus too took a swig out of his bottle, the drink burning nicely in his gullet a moment later. "So what's your story?"

"Okay, okay, but it's nowhere near as funny." Michael shook his head, still snickering. "Well I guess it would be my greatest haul ever...which ironically began with me being caught and arrested...never was a good pickpocket, you know." He looked up at Garrus and winked, suddenly holding up a hand holding Garrus' pistol. "By the way, you dropped this."

"Oh you little..." Grinning, Garrus grabbed the weapon and re-holstered it. "So...you got arrested and...what, locked up? _That's_ the story?"

"Oh sure, picked up, locked up and told my attorney would be this drunk who's famous for being paid by the cops to fail his clients." Michael rolled his eyes. "Of course, then there was this riot that exploded – stores ran out of food you see – and all but two of the cops go out to restore order. Only problem was that the cops in this neighbourhood...they were anything but beacons of light if you know what I mean."

"Oh, I know where this is going..." Garrus winced on the inside, having mixed feelings about the tale so far. Dirty cops were a blight, toeing the line, sure, but going against what was right...that wasn't acceptable. Of course, given Michael's history, Garrus wouldn't complain, the man probably didn't have many funny stories from his time before the Alliance. _Or at all, come to think of it_... "Go on though."

"So I chat them up, have bribed one of them to look the other way before, so I felt I had a chance...turned out better than I thought." Michael chuckled. "A few hours later the other cops return to a looted station, armoury empty, cells empty, computers gone, evidence room looted...heck, someone even went and took all the chairs!"

Garrus held back a grimace. "Damn, guess they had it coming for giving you that lawyer though, right?"

"I suppose." Michael shrugged. "I'm mostly happy about my share of that evidence room. Lived well on that stuff for months...you know, the stuff mother didn't steal to fund her habits while I slept."

_That's_..._a fun story for you_? Garrus shot his friend a glance, but Michael's little smile did indeed imply it as a fond memory of his. _Better humour him_. "Heh, poor fools coming back to the station...bet the following paper-work was horrible with no chairs to sit on..."

A small snicker escaped Michael at that, then his smile died, turning melancholy as he gazed over the lake before them. "She never said anything." _Huh_? "I had my boot on her throat, gun to her face..." _Oh_. Garrus grimaced, he'd heard bits and pieces from Tali back on the Normandy, in the shape of growled mutters and angry rants...it was different hearing it from Michael, _sad_. "...and she didn't say a _word_. She just looked at me, looked at me with those big eyes that can see right through me, see my soul..." Michael visibly shivered, hand shooting up way too quick to take another draught from his bottle.

Garrus, sitting still, waited, unsure if he should speak up yet.

"I used to..._like_ that, you know? I...when she looked at me I felt I could not only stand that look, but that it made me feel _better_ about myself. That it told me who I was, and that there was something there I could be _proud_ of..." A slow shake of his head...and the human took a long swig from his bottle, making Garrus wince as he patiently waited for the human to finish...which he did with a drunken grunt. "When did that change? When did I become..." He gestured at himself with his free hand, eyes still fixed on the lake before them. "..._this_?"

"Well..." Garrus hesitated. "...you _have_ been forced to make some harsh decisions down the line..."

"Cruel, _evil_ ones..." Michael muttered, not even throwing the Turian a glance. "...I stand by them though, I really do...let me do evil, to preserve the good..." He sighed, shoulders slumping. "It's not right though. I do evil, and it haunts my dreams, _punishing_ me...and then, when I _finally_ get to do something good...I'm punished for it anyway." Another swig of the bottle. "I saved her people, saved the Geth, got her a _homeworld_ and...and...she throws me away..."

Taking a draught out of his own bottle to strengthen his nerves, Garrus cocked his head to the side. "Well...I don't think it's the results she cares about more than the _way_ you-"

"I know that!" Michael snapped, face alight with anger for but a moment, only for it to fade away, replaced by sadness as he looked away. "I just...what was I supposed to do? I guess...I guess it was inevitable."

"Hey, listen" Garrus finally relented to his instincts and put an arm over Michael's shoulder. The human looked over to his friend, his breath awful, but at the moment Garrus didn't care and held Michael's gaze. "You're a brother to me, you know that, right?" The man nodded emphatically, but Garrus gave him no chance to answer. "And Tali is like a little sister. So believe me when I say that it's killing me to see you two like this. Though time _does_ heal many wounds and after a while she might-"

"She won't take me back! What are you, a moron?" Michael slurred, angry and now clumsily trying to get himself out of Garrus' grip.

Garrus, far less drunk, easily held on though. "You've gone out of your way to save her life, what, two times? Three if you count her treason charges. You two have been a couple for a short time when you think about it, but I _can_ tell you...since the _day_ she got to the Normandy you two _have_ been together...even when you didn't know it...I wouldn't say things are over and done with." He shrugged, making sure to hold on to Michael as he looked away. "That said...even if she can't truly forgive you...I don't think you'll go your separate ways or truly lose your friendship. I don't...and that's something, right? After this war...she'll still be around, in one form or another, okay?"

"Yeah...yeah I guess." Michael smiled, though it was a sad smile, as if he found something depressing with that thought. _Love_..._always complicated_. Garrus sighed. "You'll...you'll look after her, right? After the war, I mean?"

"Errr...sure?" Garrus frowned, confused. "I mean, if she still won't have anything to do with you or you decide to be rude and die on me, I guess..."

A little laugh escaped Michael, as if he found something funny with Garrus' words, a little twitch in the corner of his mouth appearing as he gave his friend a pat on the shoulder. "Thanks, buddy."

"You know I always got your back." Garrus replied, the words easily passing from his mouth as he took a swig from his bottle and finally let go of Michael. "What did they say in that stupid movie Joker loves? To infinity and beyond? I like that, has a nice ring to it, you humans always find the best things to say..."

Frowning, Michael stared at his feet, sighing. "You...still do? I thought...you know...with the trust and all-"

"Of course I do, you jackass!" Garrus snapped, shoving his friend and drawing a surprised grunt from him. "You and me...we're the _exception_, you should know that, there's _nothing_ that can stand in our way when we're together."

"Heh, well aren't you confident?" Michael chuckled, taking a draught from his bottle before wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "Though I suppose you're right, we took down a bloody Reaper, for Christ's sake..."

"_You_ did." Garrus corrected, raising a finger. "Have you seen it on the extranet? People are playing it over and over, making jokes about it, humans call you the new 'Chuck Norris'...whatever that is." Michael snickered at that, making the Turian shake his head. "Humans, always assuming others understand their jokes...and on that note, what's with every one of them calling me Batman? Isn't a bat a rodent or some sort? Are they making fun of me?"

"Not at all! Be honoured!" Michael guffawed, then grinned. "Though I guess that makes me Robin...better dress up in red and stop wearing trousers."

Garrus stared at his friend, brow-plate raised, but the human looked back, not leading Garrus on. "Right...you humans are all insane."

"And you Turians all have a stick up your ass." Michael smirked as Garrus shot him a playful punch to the shoulder. Taking another draught from his soon to be empty bottle, the man glanced over to the lake, or rather, to a distant statue rising above the water. "You know, I always liked that Krogan statue...it looks very...realistic..."

"Doesn't look fancy, no. It's a Krogan that's for sure." Garrus nodded, then blinked as a thought came to him. "Hey...you think they'd put a statue of the Geth up there if they end up being as vital to the war-effort as you believe?" He snickered. "Imagine how much that would irk Gerrel..."

Michael chuckled, only for his smile to fade as he looked at the Krogan statue, as if something with the thought of that pained him. "Yeah...maybe they will, poor Geth."

"Poor Geth?" Garrus asked, now completely confused.

"Sorry, maybe Liara hasn't told you." Michael glanced over to Garrus, eyes hesitant. "The Crucible hits the Reaper code specifically, the Geth are now built around the code...so when the Crucible fires..." He grimaced and looked away. "So much for me doing good, huh?"

"It was better than the alternative, I'm sure Legion would agree." Garrus argued, then frowned, a sickening feeling in his stomach. _Wait, he wants me to take care of Tali after the war and Liara mentioned that Cerberus rebuilt him with_... "Michael, err... not to pry or anything, but with the Crucible hitting anything Reaper, errr..." He didn't dare ask.

Nor did he have to.

Michael, not looking back at Garrus, stared at the distant statue with a forlorn look in his eyes. "You think we can finish off these fridges tonight? Would be a record..."

Garrus, realisation dawning on him, stared at Michael in horror, breathing suddenly difficult. A grunt, and he cleared his throat, struggling to keep his voice even. "Ye-yeah, let's do that. Maybe a toast to the fallen?"

"That'll be quite a few toasts." Michael dully replied, not even glancing at his friend as he raised his bottle. "I like it."

"Well..." Grunting, Garrus took a long swig from his bottle, suddenly feeling as if he needed it. "...let's start then."

8

8

8

_I need to put the valve deeper in to avoid_..._chaffing_.

Tali's face was on fire, as it had been for quite some time. The only relief she found was that the cargo hold was empty and that she had hidden her work-site from anyone entering the floor with a few strategically placed crates...meaning her embarrassment was at least not a public thing.

_I really should have said no_.

But Tali hadn't. She had felt that after their fights with the Collectors, and not to mention her invaluable help during the war over Rannoch, that Tali owed EDI more than one favour. And while EDI _was_ an AI, something Tali _really_ didn't feel like being around after all that had happened on Rannoch, she was still _EDI_...and Tali felt inclined to view the AI as a friend and part of the crew, and those you helped. No matter _what_ they asked of you.

_But Keelah, couldn't she have asked for something else_!?

As if on cue, EDI's voice came through the nearest speaker on the ship. "Tali, are you well?"

Groaning, Tali didn't look up from her work, wishing the voice away with every fibre of her being as she gritted her teeth. "I believe we agreed upon _no_ talking while I did this for you..."

"My apologies, but I'm detecting a heat build-up in your body and wondered if you perhaps had fallen ill, are you experiencing fever?"

Putting down her tools, Tali sighed. _Of course, she'd notice that_..._great_. "No, I'm just not used to working on things like...this." Her treacherous eyes darted upwards at that, taking in the sight of the lump of a machine laying on the table before her, eyes dead and body unmoving as Tali was working on it...they _especially_ went to the point she was working on.

"My apologies, but I couldn't do it myself, given how this platform needed to be shut off for the procedure, and I believed asking engineer Adams would have been perceived as...strange." _But asking me wasn't_!? Tali took a shuddering breath as she looked at her work, not wanting to know how EDI had come to the conclusion that Tali would be the best for this...'job'. Though, as if _intent_ on making Tali _more_ embarrassed, the AI volunteered the information. "And I believed that you with your engineering history had experience with this kind of job."

Tali's eyes bulged. _Keelah_... "How do you figure _that_?!"

"You are a Quarian engineer, you're an expert at improvising and finding solutions to technical problems in ways most human engineers wouldn't even contemplate."

"Well...thank you." Tali muttered, though her face was still on fire when she shook her head, eased back and gestured at the mess on the table in front of her. "But EDI, I'm an expert on repairing _ships_, not building..." She struggled for words, then blurted out the only word coming to mind. "..._genitalia_!"

It was a disturbing sight. EDI's mobile platform lay on its back, arms and legs obscenely splayed apart, looking as if it was giving birth...or rather, as if it already had and the monstrous baby had taken the lower half of the 'woman's' stomach with it, killing her in the process.

Tali didn't like thinking about it too much.

Of course, with EDI talking to her, that was impossible. "The technical issues are surprisingly minor, though in my opinion the issues with creating a plumbing capable of properly secreting moisturising liquids is the difficult part."_ Keelah, kill me now_. Despairing, Tali cradled her head in her hands. "I hope refilling the container will not be difficult, and have already found a liquid mimicking-"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Tali hurriedly spoke, hands raised in surrender. _I don't want to know how you researched that either_! "No need to go into details..._at_ _all_." Sighing, Tali reluctantly picked up her tools, voice a low mutter. "And if it's so easy, why not ask some other woman at engineering...?"

EDI, of course, easily heard the words, her answer quick and blunt. "Because I trust you."

Tali froze.

Stared at the body, _EDI's_ body, laying before her, at her mercy.

The body EDI seemed to enjoy more than the Normandy, with which she interacted with the crew, with _Joker_.

And Tali sighed, shoulders slumping as she went back to work. "Great, now I feel honoured doing this for you."

"Thank you." The AI replied, paused, then continued as she no doubt viewed Tali's progress through the ship's cameras. "I'm surprised Cerberus didn't add this themselves."_ Oh for_... Tali's hands stopped mid-movement. "Archives from the previous inhabitant shows that she on more than one occasion infiltrated organisations by orally-"

"What did I say about details!?" Tali shouted, straight as a ruler as her face burnt. "I don't want to think about it, _please_." A sigh, and she shook her head as she resumed working. "Nor think about what you intend to do with this part...or with _who_."

"I love him." The frank reply made Tali drop her tools, a small gasp escaping her. "And I want to make him happy."

_Keelah, today is just too much_... Tali groaned, she hadn't slept well since Rannoch, and EDI's request was at the worst time. It reminded her of her own loss, of the _longing_ still lingering in her. _Stupid body, stupid brain, it's over_..._stupid_ _emotions_..._stupid Michael not having any_... Grumbling, Tali picked up her work again, a grunt escaping her as she tried to focus on her job. "You realise that with this..._equipment_...you'll need clothing." _Should have gotten it before this too, I say_...

"I have already had some shipped over." Was EDI's neutral reply, concern in her voice as Tali grumbled. "Tali, are you well?"

"I just..." Tali sighed, cocking her head to the side, not liking how it felt as if she was whining as she replied. "...Doctor Michel is after Garrus, you after Joker, Traynor seems to give an oblivious Liara the eye...is this a military vessel or a dating agency? And on the Citadel too, everyone's just...what's with all the kissy faces everywhere? Shouldn't we be focusing on combating the Reapers!?"

At the pause following her words, Tali snorted at herself._ Yep, that sounds like whining, get a grip, Zorah_.

EDI, however, seemed to take her words seriously. "I've heard numerous people, even on this vessel, speak of it as a need to enjoy their lives for as much as possible, after all, they don't know if they'll survive this war."_ Fair enough_. Then, the AI's voice turned somewhat amused. "And _you_ sound like _Michael_ when you speak like that."

"Real funny." Tali snorted, mood darkening as she shot a glare at the ceiling, not quite sure where EDI's camera was. "I'd rather _not_ talk about that bosh'tet."

"As you wish."

With that, blissful silence descended upon them.

Grumbling underneath her visor, Tali bent low to continue her work in earnest, eager to finish even as he eyes darkened with irritation. _Nearly got my people killed, ready to shoot me, and I made love to that man_? _I love-__loved__ him_? _Oh, I sure know how to pick them, like my bloody father, __any__ risk it takes to reach his goal, forgetting about the ones important to him until it's too late_. Gritting her teeth, Tali let herself fume. _Well I hope you're happy, dad, we got our homeworld back, neither of us are capable of enjoying it due to the price we paid for it, but we got it_. _And I'm __so __happy for you, Michael, with your Geth buddies me leaving you mustn't even register_.

A grunt, and she got the cylinder EDI would have to 'refuel' into place. Fortunately, it was easy not to think about what it would be doing as Tali growled at the machinery in front of her. _Where did I go wrong_? _Was it all the way back at Fist's office when I first saw him_? _No, he was a good man, messed up, but good_..._even back on the Collector base_..._I understood him, I __knew__ he wanted to do good_. _Was it the arrival of the Reapers that did it_?_ Him blowing up that Relay and all the Batarians in that system_? _Or was it just so gradual I didn't even notice the signs of warning_...? _Could I really have been so blind_? She frowned._ Or am I just thinking this because it was __my__ people he gambled with? Would I have cared as much had it been the Krogan_? A shake of her head. _No, no I'm better than that_. Then, she bit her lower lip in annoyance. _Though I __did__ more or less accept what he did to Wrex and the Krogan_...

_Keelah_! Growling, Tali tightened her grip on her work as her hands moved automatically while she thought. _No, it's not right, __nothing__ he does has been right and there's __no__ excuse_. _All he cares about is his bloody war_! _All the Admirals cared about was Rannoch_! _All anyone is thinking about is __themselves_! _Where did the kindness go_? _The caring and the respect for fellow sentient beings_? _The Reapers are in our galaxy and we're tearing each other apart like starving Varren_..._and the only one capable of leading us is the cruellest Varren of us all_? Tali grimaced. _I miss Kaidan, he wouldn't abandon his principles or his caring for others_. _Of course, with Garrus being my best friend and hating Kaidan's gut_..._well_..._awkward_...

Sighing, Tali's shoulders slumped. _I need a drink_.

"I'm glad the Geth survived."

Tali blinked, realising EDI had spoken once more. "Wh-what? Yes, the Geth survived, yay, I'm glad for that too."

There was a frown in the AI's voice. "You don't _sound_ happy."

Tali rolled her eyes, feeling defeated already as she replied. "Look, I am happy about that, _truly_. But excuse me if the wounds from what happened are a _bit_ too new for me to start dancing. I lost my father to the Geth, I lost Kal, I lost..." She swallowed. _My love_. "...so much."

"Is it also because of Michael? What he did?"

"What kind of stupid question is that!?" Tali released her tools, whirling about to glare at...well she wasn't sure, the walls was what her eyes picked. "Of course I do, he picked the Geth over _my_ people! And _no_, I don't mean that they're synthetic and more expendable, but that was _my_ people up there and he was ready to cast them aside!" She shook her head furiously. "The worst is knowing _why_ he did it! He was just doing it because of crass numbers, for how powerful the Geth are! He's human, but had _no_ humanity in him when doing such a thing!"

EDI's voice was soft when she replied. "What else would he have done?" A pause. "Let the Geth die?"

"I...no..." Tali groaned, uncertain as she took a step back. "I don't know..." She turned back to her work, grumbling. "There were sixteen million people up there, most civilians, many _children_, you _don't_ gamble with that many lives, you just..._don't_."

"I see." Tali could _feel_ the AI consider her words. "I suppose you are correct, if civilian lives are more highly valued than military ones, and if the Geth, all capable of combat, are considered to be military lives." _That's __one__ way to look at it, I suppose_... "Still, I'm glad the results were as they were, even if they are temporary."

Tali frowned, confused. "What? Temporary? Could you clarify?"

"Don't you know?" EDI replied, sounding somewhat surprised. "I thought you'd studied the workings on the Crucible as per Liara's request?" Tali grimaced, cocking her head to her side as she guiltily remembered how when tired she had swept her reading aside in favour of _trying_ to get some sleep. _I_..._skimmed it_. "The Crucible targets the Reaper code, the new code the Geth consist of is now a synthesis of their old code and that of the Reapers, meaning it'll be targeted for destruction by the Crucible." EDI paused. "Naturally, we are not at liberty to tell the Geth about this, I'm afraid. It saddens me, but I understand Michael's reasoning."

"So the Geth will...die?" Tali blinked, a hot flush running down her body. "That's not...right." She grimaced. "H-he nearly sacrificed my people for one that will die anyway?" She tensed, muscles knotting up as she clenched her hands. "That makes it _worse_!"

"Depends on how you perceive this war, I believe." EDI neutrally replied, making Tali frown, sensing criticism.

"What do you mean?"

"He's not doing this for any one race, he's doing this for the survival of the _galaxy_."

Tali growled, narrowing her eyes in anger. "No, he's doing it for the sake of his own hatred of the Reapers."

"The difference is superficial. If he does it out of hatred for the Reapers, he acts to make the galaxy as ready to fight as possible, which will _save_ as much as possible. It's the same if he had done it for the galaxy's sake alone."

Tali shook her head though, weary, tired, and not in the mood to argue. "No, it's not EDI, motivation _matters_. Or do you think you being forced by your hardware blocks to help us before was the same as you now helping us out of your own free will?"

There was a pause, then the machine replied. "I understand your point. However, the result is the same in both examples."

Sighing, Tali returned to her work, too weary to argue. "Now you sound like Cerberus."

Her comment was greeted with a chuckle from the AI. "That hurts my feelings, Tali."

Slightly amused, Tali found a weak grin on her face. "How about _not_ making fun of the woman elbow-deep inside of you with a cutting-tool in hand?"

A pause.

EDI mulling over Tali's reply.

"I'll be quiet now."

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for her order of brain-bleach, order now, every penny goes to orphaned AI._


	47. Chapter 47

The Normandy was softly vibrating, the space outside the cockpit window a spectrum of white and blue as the ship hurtled between two Relays.

Michael wasn't sure exactly how that worked, with the journey faster than the regular faster than light speed , it was mathematically not just a journey through space, but time...or so Tali had once told him...as far as he had understood it. Yet they always ended up on the other side without having gone back in time, or without any time having passed, instead they _lost_ it, somehow, _somewhere_...it still took time to travel from one relay to the next.

Some experts spoke of the Relays using that lost time – and the energy spent during that time – to power themselves, as if energy to transport the ship passing through wasn't required, but _gained_ with each passing ship...but if so, where did all that energy go? And if it was true that the Relays gathered energy each time a ship passed through, how come no one had ever noticed it building up or being spent?

Michael didn't care about such questions though, mind elsewhere.

Staring ahead, he could feel Thessia hurtle closer, the Asari fleet waiting there, the Reapers slaughtering a bloody path through the Asari homeworld...and most importantly, also coming ever closer to denying him his Prothean library._ I __will__ have that information, if I so have to carve my way through an entire army_._ It's so close_..._I_ _can_ _feel_ _it_...

Yet that wasn't _all_ he was aware of.

With Joker in the pilot chair and EDI in the co-pilot seat, Garrus had to stand behind EDI. The Turian looking tense, gaze distant, mind perhaps dwelling on Palaven and how the destruction on Thessia might compare. Michael couldn't tell for sure though, his friend had been very quiet since their drinking bout on the Presidium.

Mostly though, he was aware of a fully armed and armoured Liara standing a few feet next to him, her arms crossed over her chest as she impatiently tapped her foot while biting her lower lip in anguish to the point that she was about to bruise it.

_I need her focused, I need her to_..._be_ _okay_. Torn by a need to comfort and one to focus on the mission, Michael hesitated. But, of course, there could only be one outcome. "Liara, we're not here to save Thessia, you understand that, right?"

Garrus shot him a questioning look, as did Joker, but Michael paid them no heed as out of the corner of his eyes he saw the Asari flinch, then frown. "I _know_ that, Michael. We're only _one_ ship."

Michael grimaced. Liara knew his reasoning, knew he was _right_, yet he _still_ felt her anger through their bond, a bitterness and, perhaps more importantly, a feeling of helplessness. "And we're not going to send in more ships into this, in fact we're going to try and get the rest out of the system."

"I'm well aware of our..." Liara shook her head, her hands clenching. "...priorities."

"Good, because we need to-"

"Michael, _please_!" Michael flinched at the begging tone as Liara snapped at him, her posture stiff as she pointed at the window ahead of them, face a mask of pain. "It's my _home_ down there, my _people_! I know what we must do but could you please just...just _shut_ _up_!"

Michael recoiled from the anger emanating from Liara, shooting out from her eyes...but then found his face softening as he realised it wasn't truly directed at him, and just a front, a way to hide the dark core of fear coiling around within her. _Not anyone, not even Liara, can see the war as I do_..._the price needed to be paid_. "Sorry."

With that, the pair resumed gazing out the cockpit window, sensing their imminent arrival to the system.

Garrus, however, glanced back, a curious glint in his eyes. "So what's the story of this temple? Seems an odd place to hide secret government property."

"Actually, it's a _very_ good place to hide secret property, no one will even think to look at something in plain sight as to be something _more_." Liara replied, tone somewhat lecturing once more as she got back to her scientific roots. _Huh, plain sight_? _Clever, very clever_... Michael frowned, finding something curious about that thought... "As for the temple itself, it's located in the capital of Thessia's largest nation and is the prime temple dedicated to the goddess as well as the preservation of our past...a museum if you will." Liara grimaced. "I visited once, and checked my archives when I knew that's where we were going. Considering the images of some of the oldest artefacts of our past...I found myself asking _Javik_ of it."

_Ouch, no wonder I felt a spike of anger while en route here_. Michael, already sensing the answer, hesitantly spoke up. "And...how did that go?"

"As predicted." Liara growled, glaring at her feet. "You can only hear so much of what great potential your species has and how much you've wasted it before you want to throw that man out the airlock." A weary chuckle escaped her. "One of the greatest discoveries of my people's history and all I want is to forget about it, some historian I am, huh?"

"Now you're too hard on yourself." Michael muttered back, shooting her a concerned look.

The Asari shot him a smile at that, hand coming up to brush his armoured shoulder. "Thank you."

And he smiled back, feeling her touch linger through the armour.

Then the real world rushed back into focus, the Normandy shaking as real space appeared around it.

They had arrived.

Liara gasped.

The Relay in the Parnitha system lay close to Thessia, and as such the brilliantly blue orb that was the Asari homeworld appeared before them like a small marble.

Yet it _wasn't_ blue, more of a mottled grey, blots of yellow dotting it like boils on charred flesh. It reminded Michael of Palaven, and he felt his Asari and Turian friend both tense up in horror at the sight even as Joker's voice cut through, quick and professional as he too felt the strain. "No immediate Reaper signals, all signals focused around target orbital, stealth system online, tracking Asari fleet...got a ping, orders?"

Michael, crossing his arms in front of his chest, growled the order as he focused on the task ahead. "Contact the Asari fleet."

"Contact established, on screen."

The screen above the cockpit's windscreen flickered, then steadied, showing a small bit of a dimly lit chamber, but the majority of the video being taken up by the face of a purple Asari, her white facial tattoos unable to hide the wrinkles around her eyes and mouth. They were also unable to hide the bags under her tired blue eyes, the crease in her forehead and the nervous twitch of her mouth. Yet there was still strength in her voice as she spoke, a voice of authority, however worn down it might be. "This is Admiral Terru Lumin, identify yourself and give us your location or I'll be forced to consider you hostile."

"Wow, touchy, aren't we?" Joker muttered, mouth still open to crack a joke as Michael silenced him with a sharp cut of his hand.

"This is Spectre Shepard aboard the Normandy, we just entered through the Relay, we are _not_ hostile."

"A Spectre?" Even though he could only see her face, Michael saw how the Asari visibly sagged in her seat, relieved. "Thank the Goddess you're here, we could really use any assistance you can render." She hesitated, biting her lower lip. "Are you all they sent? We could use the reinforcement."

Michael felt Liara grimace, but ignored her as well as the other Asari's question as he frowned. "I need an assessment of the situation, Admiral. What's the status of the Reaper forces and Thessia?"

The Asari hesitated. So far she only had his word on that he was a Spectre, and as such _shouldn't_ give away any military intelligence...but he saw her eyes flicker in weariness as she nodded. "Sending the intel now."

At once, all the screens in the cockpit flickered and changed, numbers and maps scrolling forward as all the currently available data was displayed. _Wow_... Michael stared at the numbers, used to finding the important bits from years of memorizing entire reports...and they painted a cataclysmic scenario.

Liara, equally as capable of such things, also stared, her lips trembling. "Goddess..."

_Four days into the invasion and the Reapers are just_..._tearing everything apart_. Michael's eyes widened. Like with Palaven, the Reapers had no reason to hold back as they were on Earth, but _unlike_ Palaven Thessia had no strong-points, no fortifications or a large force under arms. What they _did_ have was civilians, civilians now being trampled underfoot as Reaper Destroyers – impervious to any defences the few Asari troops on the ground could mount – went berserk wherever they went. Palaven, past a month of war, was still holding, _fighting_, Thessia on the other hand was a site of _massacre_, not combat. Michael held back a grimace, feeling Liara's anguish wash over him like a tidal wave.

And even as he stared, the numbers of dead rose by the thousands by every passing second.

_Focus_. "And you, what is _your_ status, Admiral?" To his surprise, Michael's voice remained steady under the barrage of pain emanating from Liara as the shaking woman stared at the screens in growing horror.

"We're holding." The woman grimaced. "We've suffered a few casualties, but most ships are still intact and ready for combat. Only..." She took a deep breath. "..if we engage the Reapers that close to Thessia we won't be able to manoeuvre as we usually do, it'll be...bloody." Another grimace, this time followed by a hopeful look. "And we can't even break through to reach the planet unless we get reinforcement..."

_Dammit_. Michael hesitated, glancing over at Liara. The woman, caught up in her grief, still had the sense to nod, to tell him she was okay – by the very loosest of the definitions – but okay enough for him to speak up. "Admiral..." He grimly turned back to the Asari on the screen. "...I'm here on a special mission, there won't _be_ any reinforcement."

"_What_!?" The Admiral flew up from her seat, the camera tumbling as she grabbed it and hoisted it up to focus back to her face, a face alight with anger. "Are you telling me the _galaxy_, our own _people_, have _abandoned_ us!? Tevos would _never_ stand for that!"

_Of course, you know Tevos_... Michael didn't let his face betray anything though as he kept his grim gaze fixed on the Asari. "No, I'm saying there is a bigger picture to consider, the future of your _species_, to consider." He paused, letting his words sink in. "I'm sure you, an Asari, understands."

There was a light of horror in the Admiral's eyes, but she shook her head, blinking hard as she glared at him. "I understand that you aren't here to send us help! That you intend to let Thessia _burn_!"

"Tell me..." Michael kept his voice calm, cold...and hated himself for it. "...would even the combined Asari fleet have a chance of defeating the Reapers here? _Any_ fleet?"

Silence.

The Asari Admiral stared at him, eyes alight with anger and desperation.

And then she slumped back in her seat, eyes on the floor as she visibly shook with withheld tears. "No..."

Michael took a deep breath, finding himself blinking and shaking as Liara's emotions kept assailing the fortress he had made of his own. "You can't do anything more here, Admiral, take your ships and regroup with the rest of the Asari fleet while you still can. Save them for when we can have vengeance."

"I..." The Admiral kept staring at the floor, a lone tear running down her left cheek...and then looked up, meeting his gaze. "...I can't do that."

"What?" Michael snapped, blinking in surprise.

"I can't." A slow shake of the woman's head, eyes serious as more tears trickled down her cheeks. "Neither I nor the crew of my ships can do that, we..." She looked to the side, gazing at what had to be Thessia. "...we _can't_ leave our people, our _families_, those we've _sworn_ to protect, to die. We can't do that and fight on. We'd be destroyed without even having fired a shot."

"Are you mad!?" Michael growled, a sliver of anger struggling against the waves of sadness welling out from Liara. "You'll be throwing your life away! Not to mention those on your ships!"

"Will I?" The Admiral shook her head, tears forgotten as a hint of steel appeared in her eyes. "The galaxy might end, we might not even save _one_ civilian, but they will know that when Thessia fell, the Asari fought to the last." A deep breath, and the woman nodded, a defiant growl escaping her. "We're no Krogans, but they will know to fear our roar!"

Grimacing, Michael felt the others around him, how their mood shifted. Joker had no quip on his tongue this time, the pilot's face grim but determined, EDI practically mimicking. Garrus' eyes had softened, the Turian softly nodding to the Admiral's words in approval. And Liara...she was smiling, grim and pained, but defiant.

_Dammit_. Michael knew the look in the Admiral's eyes, he'd given it himself. There was no talking the Admiral out of her decision, no order or plea would work. _Of all the stupid_... Growling, Michael raised his hand, omni-tool aglow. "Very well, _Admiral_...then may I suggest you attack the Reapers from this front?" He illuminated a spot on the globe of Thessia.

The Asari stared at him, eyes searching and finding the reason for his request in his gaze. Grimly, she nodded. "As you wish, Spectre. We'll move into position immediately, may the Goddess grant you fortune."

Michael, forcing himself not to growl in annoyance as he felt the Asari fleet slip out of his fingers, saluted. "And you, Admiral."

The Asari nodded, a look of utter calm on her face. "Terru Lumin, out."

The screen went blank.

"You told her to attack at the other side of the planet..." Garrus muttered, the Turian stroking his scarred mandible, thoughtful but generally approving. "...you're using her as a distraction."

Michael felt Liara's eyes on him, felt her being torn between anger and understanding, but didn't dare look back at her as he grimly eyed the planet they were approaching. "She stands as much chance there as she does anywhere else, and with the Reapers busy there, we might stand a better chance at getting to our objective." He offered a weak smile. "She might actually have saved the galaxy if this works."

"It's a...better end than most on Thessia will get." Liara admitted, voice shaking as she stared at her feet.

Michael turned, offering as much of a smile as he could as his hand shot up, gently pressing her chin up until she looked back into his eyes. "We'll make it worth it, as always."

Liara swallowed, but nodded in agreement, if only weakly.

Then Michael lowered his arm and turned fully...and found himself staring at Tali, the woman staring back, hands entwined and nervously fiddling.

_Pain_.

Michael felt it like a cold blade in his heart as he looked at her, as he watched her eyes dart from him to the distant planet, to the numbers still displayed on the monitors, then back to him before moving over to Liara, trying to take it all in. She looked uncertain, confused, overwhelmed, distraught...and Michael wanted, despite everything, to hold her and comfort her, _despite_ the agony in his chest.

He wanted to hate her for it.

_Inconsequential, focus on the job_. Growling, Michael brushed past the Quarian as he obeyed the sensible part of his brain. "Ready yourselves, we deploy in ten minutes."

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for all the good times._


	48. Chapter 48

Tali found herself staring at Michael, at _them_.

The man was busy glaring at the door to the shuttle, willing it to open even as Cortez brought the shuttle around to land. Next to him Liara stood, the woman looking tense beyond words as she too stared at the door, her blue skin somewhat paler than it usually was, nearly matching her white armour. They stood close to one another, nearly shoulder to shoulder, not holding hands, but there was a _way_ in how they stood...as if lending strength to one another.

Tali felt sick to the stomach at the sight, nauseous as old suspicions and jealousies she'd thought she'd let go off came hurtling back._ Doesn't make sense_..._not like I have a right to comment or have an opinion even if they __are_..._that_. _But_..._some_..._time__ before I have to witness it...is that so much to ask for_? The thought of it, of Michael with the Asari...it physically _hurt_. _Great, now I'm jumping to conclusions. All I saw was affection, I've seen that before, nothing has changed_... Standing in the back of the shuttle, _away_ from him, she grimaced. _Yeah_ _right_.

At least she found comfort in Garrus standing next to her, the Turian offering her a smile and a nod before he put his helmet on, its dark visor revealing nothing but her reflection as she worried and shifted her weight from foot to foot. She surely needed the comfort, she had seen the numbers that the Asari Admiral had transmitted, and they seemed impossible to believe. _Surely, they're exaggerated_...? Tali felt a niggling sense of doubt about that though, which worried her.

_Keelah, I'm not sure I want to see what the Reapers have done on other planets_. She had of course heard the tales from the others on the Normandy. They had made the war for Rannoch sound relatively clean, but it was hard to imagine it. Mostly though, Tali's mind was elsewhere. _He doesn't care_..._does he_? _I did say he only loved his war with the Reapers but_..._I expected him to be more sad about it_..._at least showing some remorse_..._all I hear from the others is of him being angry_. She eyed Michael's back, a deep sigh escaping her. _Didn't I matter for you_? _Even a little bit_? _I knew_ _I did __once__...but...what happened to you_?

It was a scary feeling. With Kal gone, her relationship with Shala in tatters and her relationship with _Michael_ at an end, being on the Normandy fighting an otherworldly foe...Tali felt as if she was falling freely, out of control. She had Rannoch when the war ended...but it didn't _feel_ like she did. _What's there to return to_? _And now Normandy doesn't really feel like home either_..._I'm_..._homeless_. She shot her ex-lover a glare. _Damn you, Michael, I love – no, __loved__ – you, and you loved me, how could you do this to me_?

Cortez broke through her thoughts though, his voice strained even as the shuttle shook. "I only got a single signal from some Asari troops in the entire city to go on, Sir. I'll have to put you down there." A worried mutter followed. "It's a mess down there..."

"Do it, we'll get the rest of the way on foot." Michael snarled back, not taking his eyes off the door. _You_..._won't even glance at those at your back now_? _How can one man be so_..._focused_? _So_ _cold_? "Then stay on station nearby, keep a low profile but be ready to come in if needed."

"Roger that, Sir. Putting her down, watch your feet when you get off." Cortez grunted...and the shuttle shook with an impact. "_Now_! Go, go, go!"

With the pilot's words ringing in her eyes, Tali found herself in a rush of running feet as the squad exited the shuttle. The setting sun struck Tali square in the eyes the moment she was in the open, forcing her to look down. And luckily so as she found the ground to be a mess of grey dirt and sharp pieces of debris as the group ran down the hill the scrap had formed. Tali's boots were armoured, but she didn't like the idea of tripping on the debris and being sent flying into one of the many sharp rods of steel sticking up the ground like tufts of grass. _That would_..._hurt, not to mention the infection that would follow_. As if reading her mind, the ground shook to the sound of a distant blast, making her hand shoot out to grab a hold of Garrus as the two stumbled the last few feet to where the ground evened out.

_Whew_. Taking a deep breath, Tali grimaced. She was no stranger to the hazards of combat, but her memory of Garrus breaking his leg during the battle of the Citadel was still fresh in her mind and not something she'd like to experience herself. "You...can let go now." The Turian muttered, making Tali look up and find Garrus awkwardly shifting from foot to foot as her hand still held onto the neck-ring of his armour.

_Oh_. Tali felt a slight flush appear on her cheeks as she let go. "Sorry. " _My one true friend_..._I can always rely on you, can't I_? Tali blinked at the warm feeling at that thought and looked away in horror. _Keelah, get a grip_!_ Just because you lose one lover doesn't mean you have to jump after another_! _Stupid emotions running rampant with no outlet_... "Erm...sorry."

"No harm done..." The Turian muttered and stepped back, perhaps sensing her awkwardness. "Come on, let's go."

Following him, still feeling a bit awkward over her sudden need for affection, Tali looked up...and frowned in annoyance.

They had landed on a platform of some sort, a small garden of wilting flowers built in front of a tall building made out of nothing but subtle curves and polished steel. There was only one visible path leading to the building though, a path Tali couldn't see due to the amount of debris the Asari troops had put up as a makeshift barrier. What made Tali frown though was the Asari _leader_. "Sh-Shepard...?"

_Oh great_. Tali scowled at the Asari in front of her, remembering all too well their visit on Illium when that Asari had none too subtly been _hitting_ on the man. _Why do the Ancestors try to make me suffer through Asari at every turn_...? The woman was still green, but had now eschewed her civilian garb for the commando leathers that left half of the galaxy rolling their eyes and the other half with their tongues hanging out their mouths. Michael though had his eyes on the Asari's face – _thank the ancestors_ – and gripped her by the forearm as with a grim look in his eyes he growled. "Shiala, I didn't expect to see you here."

"I don't know why, but Cerberus _kidnapped_ the colonists of Zhu's Hope..." The Asari snarled back, eyes alight with anger of the memory. "So I signed up, hoping for revenge..." The anger faded a bit at that, turning to melancholy as she craned her head around, nodding backwards. "...my biotics might be unreliable, but with _this_...we need every able body we can get."

Tali, unable to help herself, turned her gaze to what Shiala was referring to...and her mouth dropped open.

From atop their platform – where it wasn't obstructed by barricades – the group had a good view of the city...or rather, the carnage. "Goddess..." Liara's mutter was a horrified gasp...and Tali was dimly aware of the Asari taking a step forward to better watch what was happening even as the Quarian stood rooted to the spot, overwhelmed by the sight. _Not even the Citadel, when Saren attacked_..._nothing compares to this_...

Not so far away, a skyscraper of smooth blue was burning like a torch, small shapes of flaming Asari throwing themselves out the windows and to their deaths. Another, not far from it, was groaning like an old tree...and then collapsing like a house of cards. The debris from it rained over a large road and the thick stream of Asari fleeing along it, the chunks of steel and stone leaving large purple stains wherever they struck the crowd.

The Asari weren't the only ones running down the road though. Among them huge hulking beasts that Tali's debriefing had classified as Brutes stalked, their claws sweeping left and right, sending shredded corpses flying. At the back, Husks were running; like a dark flood they followed the Asari civilians, swallowing up whoever was at the rear as they slowly ate away at the stream of refugees. And above, Dragons – as named by Garrus – soared, their wings lazily flapping as they spat explosive death at the running people, each blast scoring half a dozen kills.

_Keelah_...

Tali turned her eyes from the horrifying sight, only to catch sight of a Reaper Destroyer far in the distance, it's beam splitting a skyscraper in two along its length even as its clawed feet crushed their way through a large plaza. Nearer to their location, a shuttle, its engines nothing but slag from the blast of a Dragon, crashed into a pavilion built atop a tall building. Asari tumbled out of it...and their shrieks barely reached Tali over the boom of the burning skyscraper collapsing as she watched Marauders come out of the building and mercilessly gun down the women.

_This_..._this is the end of a world_...

As if to punctuate her thought, a deep cry of horror reached her ears, making her look back down to the fleeing crowd down the street...and how they came to a stop as dark horde of Cannibals and Marauders blocked their path.

Tali turned her head, unable to watch as the roars of Brutes tearing people apart were nearly lost to the sound of gunfire and the screams of trapped Asari being mowed down where they stood.

"Why...?" The question made Tali blink and turn her head, eyes widening at the sight of Liara, her cheeks wet with tears even as her eyes glowed with anger as she turned away from the sight of the once massive crowd being slaughtered to nothing to glare Shiala. "Why aren't you _doing_ anything!?" The green Asari looked away at that, biting her bottom lip...and Liara snarled as she advanced on the woman, coming within inches of her face as she spat. "Why aren't you out _helping_!?"

Silence.

Then Shiala sighed, looking back to meet Liara's burning gaze as she replied. "We _did_." Liara frowned, not having expected the reply. "There were fifty of us before, now there's twelve, and no civilian we rescued has made it through the siege we've endured since then." Liara took a step back, shoulders slumping as Shiala shook her head. "It's not like we can leave the planet anyway. The Reapers zero in on anything trying to leave. I've seen so many shuttles with refugees get blown apart now...you've not known horror until you've had bodies raining over you..."

Tali shuddered at the image even as another, this one purple, Asari approached, her haunted eyes full of hopes as she offered a quick salute. "Is this the rescue party, Commander? We're being evacuated?"

Shiala regarded the other Asari, a tired look on her face, then smiled, turning to look to Michael. "I...seriously doubt it, Kurin." For the briefest of moments, she hesitated, then she straightened, hands behind her back. "You spared my life once, Shepard, gave me a chance at redemption. Whatever you're doing here..." She raised her chin, taking a deep breath as she sensed the danger in her words. "What do you need?"

"Commander...?" The purple Asari hesitantly asked, only to look down at her feet as Shiala gestured at her to quiet down, eyes on Michael.

Michael held the Asari's gaze, weighing her words, and then nodded, a tired smile on his lips. "Very well, your team is with me. We're going to head for the temple of the Goddess, it's supposed to be nearby."

"I know the place." Shiala replied, face cut in stone. "We'll proceed immediately."

"Th-the temple?" The purple Asari's eyes widened. "That would require us going through-"

"We _will_ get it done. Thessia might fall but if anything can make that loss worthwhile, we'll take that chance." Shiala snapped at the other woman, hand moving to release a shotgun from her back as she turned her gaze over to the tired-looking women over by the barricades, raising her voice to a bark. _Keelah, no on is arguing about it falling_... "Commandos! Lift the barricades!" The other Asari looked back at her in shock, wide eyes taking in their commander and the odd group at her back. "You heard me! Get moving!"

A few groans...and the Asari commandos started glowing, a mix of purple and blue biotic energy vibrating around their leather-clad bodies, then enveloping the mix of stone and steel that was their barricades, pulling them aside as if they barely weighed anything at all.

It revealed a bridge, a bridge covered in bodies.

Husks, Cannibals, Marauders and Brutes...all lay over the bridge, a matt of dead bodies that in places had piled into mounds of Reaper-defiled flesh.

Tali, like many others around her, hesitated at the sight, unwilling to walk over the slain monsters.

Michael strode forward though, unheeding of the bodies as he began to march over them. EDI was just a step behind him as the machine looked at the bodies and then glanced back to the others. She was wearing her new 'outfit', a white number that reminded Tali of Miranda's choice of clothing, something the Quarian disapproved of, partly because the suit was ridiculous in the first place, and partly because Tali didn't hold much love for the ex-Cerberus woman and didn't want to associate EDI with the slimy organisation. "I approximate it to six hundred and thirty bodies, those that are intact, that is."

"Impressive." Garrus whistled, the Turian quick to catch up with Michael, drawn Saber lowered, ready to put a hole through any creature that might still be alive.

"That's what happens in a kill-zone in range of a full complement of entrenched biotics." Shiala replied, gingerly climbing over the body of a Cannibal as the others followed. "It's...draining though. Asari or not, any biotic needs rest after a while."

"The Reapers won't allow you rest, it's part of their strategy." Liara growled, the Asari's eyes fixed on Michael's back as she too climbed over bodies, determination in her gaze.

"So I've noticed." Shiala grunted back even as Tali's eyes darted down into the cybernetic eyes of a Marauder as she was forced to walk over its metallic chest. _Keelah, this was Turian_..._a_..._person_? It was difficult to wrap her head around it, despite having seen Husks so many times before...with the Reapers diversifying in creating husks Tali felt sick...and fearful of the future. _I_..._don't want to see a Quarian husk_... "Either you fight hordes of these creatures until you're too exhausted to fight or one of those Reapers land and take you out in a single shot...either way, you die." She spoke the words with such certainty that Tali shot her a shocked look.

"Man, that's a cheerful disposition right there." James grunted, the Marine kicking a headless Cannibal off the bridge with surprising casualness. "What do you girls do for fun? Read poetry about death and suffering?"

"We don't _have_ fun." Shiala snarled back, the Asari clearly testing.

"I was...joking."

Liara glanced back at that, eyes shooting lighting. "This is _no_ time for joking, James."

The Marine paused mid-stride, glanced at Liara, then their surroundings...and looked away. "Right, got it."

"Is this really..." Tali hesitated, eyes wide as she slowly moved forward and stared around herself. In the distance two tall buildings crumpled. Another, now nothing but a pile of rubble, was covered in swarming husks. Dragons lazily circled the sky, blasts of murdering fire raining down on the ground below, setting it alight with fire. It was a picture of horror, of death. "...the end of Thessia?"

"You should see some of our colonies." Shiala muttered, sadness in her voice as she climbed the split remains of a Brute. "What's left of them, that is, most have been scorched of life."

"Sc-scorched?" Tali blinked, trying to imagine it. "What do you mean?"

Shiala didn't look back, shoulders bunched up tight as she marched on. "Exactly what I said. Scorched. No Asari, no husks, no life, no bacteria, no oxygen, _scorched_."

Tali stopped, dead in her tracks

_Entire_..._planets_? She thought she had seen it all, she'd been at the heart of the Citadel when Saren attacked, she had fought the Collectors as they abducted entire colonies. But all of that was surgical and precise in comparison to such unimaginable destruction as entire planets turning into dead rock. _Keelah, I thought at least __I__ knew what the coming of the Reapers meant_..._I knew they_-

"Incoming!"

Tali's head snapped round just in time to see the explosion.

8

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Grenades were raining over them.

Shouting out her fear and anger, Tali ran forward, into the teeth of enemy fire. Her shields flared as a dozen Cannibals caught her in their sights, then she stumbled as a burst from a Marauder's rifle struck through it and slammed into her armoured chest, knocking a piece loose. _Keelah_! A spike of panic shot through Tali, but her left hand moved without hesitation as her training took hold, her omni-tool connecting to the cybernetics of the Marauder and transferring a portion of its energy to her own shields.

Ahead, the temple, their objective, rose majestically. Built in a mix of purple and blue steel and stone, the temple was nothing but soft curves, like a collection of scarves frozen solid, intertwined to form the building in front of them.

It was beautiful...and sharply illuminated by a giant fire behind it as the forest it was built next to burned. It looked remarkably untouched, save for the stairs leading up to it, all covered in debris, fallen statues, great boulders from some fallen skyscraper...and used as cover by a swarm of husks intent on intercepting the force that had cut its way through the city.

Around her, the others charging up were a blur, but Tali had no time to pay them any heed as she threw herself into the dirt and fired a blast from her Geth shotgun at the Marauder, only to find the creature roll past the three orbs of plasma before bringing its weapon back to bear on her. The barrel to its rifle filling Tali's vision _No_! It twitched...and Tali looked up in time to see the now headless Marauder collapse as Garrus' growl cut through into her helmet. "Dammit, Tali! Get a grip!"

That was hard though. Everywhere she looked there had been nothing but devastation, on a scale unlike anything Tali had _ever_ seen. There were bodies _everywhere_, Cannibals _feeding_ on them, banshees dragging screaming Asari away for a fate Tali couldn't even imagine, entire city blocks reduced to nothing but fire and blood.

Most importantly, there was no _hope_ in sight, no imaginable end but that of everyone on the planet being dead and all else reduced to rubble and ash.

_This_..._this is what you've been fighting_? Dazed, she turned her head as she struggled up on all fours, gaze drawn to Michael. The man was snarling defiance square in the face of a Husk leaping at him as his fist whipped out, snapping its neck with a dry crack before he turned his head, his shout barely reaching above the din of gunfire. "Shiala, _now_!"

The Commandos had lost one of their numbers during the fighting. One of the women, worn down by fatigue from days of constant fighting had stumbled, and that had been all a Husk had needed to pounce onto her and rip her intestines out before anyone could act. Yet despite the Commandos weariness, they had been invaluable, and now they once more showed what they could do as ten purple orbs of biotic energy shot up high before curving down on the entrenched Cannibals having focused their attention on the charging group below them instead of the _true_ threat.

Dull roars of anger arose from the Cannibals as they were lifted off the ground, pulled together...and then they were silenced as one when Liara – crouching down next to Michael – shot up an orb of her own, the resulting explosion of mixed biotic forces sending Cannibals and pieces of them flying from a cloud of gore.

The husks had several layers of defence though. Tali found the very _idea_ of husks using tactics unbelievable and frightening, yet now she was seeing it with her own eyes. Tali saw, as she and the majority of the squad climbed up to the defences of the now dead Cannibals, how the second line of defenders further up the stairs intensified their fire, this line of monsters covered by rubble and dirt consisting of nothing but Marauders.

The line was constantly under fire. Tali had deployed every turret she had at the back of their advance, their small rockets and triple-burst fire raking the enemy position alongside James' Falcon and EDI's overloads as they tried to keep the entrenched enemy suppressed.

But Marauders were husks, they didn't fear death and braved every bit of enemy fire as they kept pouring shots into the squad charging up the temple steps.

Clutching to the cover they'd conquered, Tali looked up, eyes widening at the pair of disgusting creatures appearing on the top of the stairs even as Liara cried out a warning. "_Ravagers_!"

A scream of agony answered her cry, making Tali whip her head around in time to see a purple Asari double over and drop onto one knee, purple blood pouring from a nasty cut across her forehead even as the Marauder responsible barely missed with his second volley. "Eia!" A blue Commando leapt to her friend's aid, hand shooting out to block the third salvo with a biotic barrier, grunting as she hoisted the wounded Asari forward...

Then the pair were annihilated.

The first powerful blast of red fired from a Ravager was enough to knock them both flat and shred their armour and flesh, the second and third blast that followed simply disintegrated the majority of them as burning pieces of Asari flesh and bone flew through the air.

_Bosh'tet_! Growling, Tali ignored a ricochet bouncing off the boulder she crouched behind, her hand playing over her omni-tool. As directed, her turrets instantly changed target, a stream of smaller shots and rockets going for the leftmost Ravager, making it gush green goo all over the steps as several of its sacks burst, releasing- _Sp-spiders_...? Cringing, Tali felt a cold shiver run down her spine. She didn't _like_ spiders, from their hairy legs to their dead eyes and bulbous bodies...she _really_ didn't like them, and the things the Ravager was releasing was similar enough to make her blood run cold.

The little creatures didn't get far though, nor did the wounded Ravager, as EDI and James joined Tali's turrets. The explosion of a Falcon grenade sent pieces of spiders flying and knocked the Ravager back a moment before EDI's incineration struck the Ravager where there had once been sacks, boiling it from the inside and making it collapse.

The second Ravager fared no better, its cannon was pounding Michael's cover into dust...only for Garrus' Black Widow to reply in kind. Two shots was all it took for the three legs on its left side to be ripped off, sending the shrieking creature tumbling over and rolling down the stairs, its acidic blood splashing all over the place as it crushed its own spiders with its rolling mass.

"Liara, yank the cover! Javik,Tali, on me!" Tali had no idea what Michael had in mind, her perception of the battlefield ruined by dust, blood and fear...but when it came to Michael, she trusted his judgement in combat above all else.

Running forward, she found herself staring at the man's back even as a boulder covered in a purple haze flew over their heads. The man was roaring in anger, Revenant spitting death into the cloud of dust ahead as Javik joined in with his Phaeston. Pushing herself harder, Tali managed to catch up just as the dust cleared, revealing four Marauders laying in a pool of blood and viscera. Michael and Javik were already turning to the right though, making Tali join them as she realised the group had managed to capture the flank of the Marauder entrenchments.

As one, the three spewed machine-gun fire and plasma along the line of Marauders turning to face them, several falling before they could even move. The rest, to Tali's utter astonishment, turned and ran, moving towards the top of the temple steps, trusting their shields to protect them as they tried to regroup. _Husks never did that before_..._Keelah_..._when did they become intelligent_!?

A roar of female rage cut through her thoughts though, and even as Tali felled a Marauder with a well-placed shot she saw the Asari Commandos surge over the Marauder fortifications, bodies aglow with power as their hands shot forward in various gestures to modify their biotic attacks.

There a Marauder froze, a purple haze surrounding it before it twitched and fell, leg blown off by a Disciple shotgun. There another was violently jerked backwards and hurtled through the air to crash at the base of the stairs with a wet crunch. There, a Marauder was torn in two along the waist as biotic energies coursed through its torso and legs. There another Marauder crumbled, chest crushed like an empty can. There, an Asari _covered_ in biotic energy hurtled into the back of a Marauder, knocking its face into the stairs even as she straddled its back and gripped it by the back of the head, slamming its face into the stairs for a second time, then a third, and a fourth...

A _fifth_...

Coming to a stop, Tali realised the battle was over even as with wide eyes she watched the Asari pull the ruins of the Marauder's head back, slamming its face into the stone beneath for a sixth time, then, gasping for air, a _seventh_ time... "Shym..." An _eighth_. "Shym." A _ninth_, nothing but gore in the Asari's hands. "Shym!" Shiala's shout finally made the Asari stop, her shoulders shaking as she stared down at split skull in her hands. "It's over."

At first, the Asari didn't seem to hear her superior, then she slowly released the ruined remains of the Marauder's head as she turned her head, slowly shaking it at Shiala, eyes dull with weariness and grief. "No, Commander, it's not, it's never over..." Her face screwed up into an angry snarl. "It's _never_ over!"

Shiala sighed, looking away, to the other Commandos approaching. "Girls, get her to her feet, we have a job to do."

"Didn't you hear me!?" The other Asari glared, hands clenched into fists at her sides as she glared daggers at her Commander. "There's no job! There's no war! There's no _chance_! We can't do anything but _die_! What's the point if-"

"You stow that attitude!" Shiala interrupted with a shout. "We are going to-!"

Her shout turned into a pained gasp as she was hurled back by the fireball consuming the Asari she'd been arguing with. Charred bones collapsed where the woman had sat just a moment ago, only to be crushed into dust as the Dragon landed atop the temple steps in a blast of wind and dirt.

_Keelah_! Tali's eyes bulged wide at the sheer _size_ of the creature in front of them, her shotgun reflexively coming up and blasting away at the creature, the three balls of plasma doing nothing but singing the plates surrounding its serpentine neck. Her shot was quickly followed by more as the entire group opened up on the monster with everything they had. The creature ignored the shots impacting on its armoured body though, a long roar escaping it as it swung its head around towards the nearest target, the cannons attached to where its jaw should have been opening fire.

The seven remaining Asari Commandos had been advancing as one group to help Shiala in the open, and as one group they were now targeted. Yet unlike their fallen comrade, they at least had a warning and raised their hands as a shimmer of biotic energy appeared in front of each as they enhanced their barriers.

The Dragon was brute force though, its crude blue eyes glaring down at the Asari as its twin cannons spat death at them. The impacts of the blasts made the Asari troops groan and gasp, deadly fire coiling around their barriers...and then ripping through.

Screams, they tore through Tali's ears, making her shudder in horror as the heat from the blasts forced her backwards.

The Asari troops were hurled back, armour and flesh sliced and burnt, but bodies intact...only to stop mid-flight as the bleeding Shiala, struggling to rise, raised her hands, en-capsuling the wounded soldiers in several biotic fields as she gently lowered the wounded women to the ground.

The Dragon roared again, head raring back as its chest..._opened_. Tali felt horror and revulsion roll through her shaking body as she with wide eyes stared at the ribs of the Dragon cracking as they swung out to each side like a pair of doors. Within, a head of a Cannibal appeared, then _another_, a swarm of the creatures beginning to de-tangling themselves from the gory cartilage within the Dragon that had held them in place.

Then Michael was there.

Jumping straight at the Dragon, his left hand grasped hold of its opened ribs on its right side as his right swung towards its insides, hurling a grenade straight into the swarm of beasts within. The grenade went off with a crack, then a crackle as fire bellowed out from it, consuming Cannibals and Dragon-flesh alike, making it rear back with a shriek. "Incinerate on my position, _now_!"

Tali moved on instinct, omni-tool aglow, only dimly aware EDI was doing the same. The twin orbs of fire hurtled straight for the Dragon's chest. EDI's was caught by a wounded Cannibal leaping out of its chest, felling it dead, but Tali's flew straight into where Michael's grenade had gone off.

A boom and the liquid fire of the grenade was brought to its critical temperature by the incineration striking it, making boiling fire fly outwards, splashing the entire inside of the Dragon even as Michael leapt off, rolled with the impact...and landed on his back, Eagle pistol drawn and aiming, face aglow with concentration and anger. "Concentrate your fire!"

As one, the group complied, a stream of grenades, sniper rounds and small arms fire tearing into the burning chest of the Dragon. It jerked backwards, scorched flesh falling onto the ground as bullets tore it off, then black blood poured over the floor as the shots went deeper...and the Dragon shrieked, stumbling.

Then falling.

With a thump that made the ground under Tali's feet shake, the Dragon crashed to the ground, sinuous neck stretched out along the stairs, synthetic eyes dulling as whatever animated it was laid to rest.

_Thank the Ancestors_. Shaking her head, Tali rested her hands on her thighs as she took a deep breath, not having realised she'd been holding it. _It was so big_..._and the sky is teeming with them_! _How are we supposed to beat_-

"James, EDI, on me." Interrupted in her thoughts, Tali shot Michael a look in time to see him kneel next to a Shiala sitting slumped in the dirt. His eyes were cold, yet something in the way he knelt next to the Asari...it spoke of..._sympathy_? Surprised, Tali blinked, staring at the man as he looked at Shiala, who in turn looked down at the gasping Asari in her arms, the other Commando's lips covered in purple blood as she coughed up more and more with each second. "James, medi-gel her, EDI, check the others."

Tali winced, feeling a bit of guilt as she realised she had almost forgotten about the Asari troops during the sudden battle with the Dragon. Michael hadn't though, the man grimacing as he glanced over to EDI moving to help the other Asari to sit up even as the one James tried to help gurgled out a last gust of air. "Dammit." Shiala muttered, dropping her fallen comrade with a sigh. "I'm starting to get used to this...it's not a pleasant feeling."

"No, it's not." Tali blinked, realising it had been Javik that had agreed, the Prothean looking down at Shiala with a grim look in his eyes, one Shiala returned in kind. A grunt, and Javik turned his gaze to Michael. "Commander, we are wasting time, we must proceed."

_You cold-hearted._.. "I agree." The human snapped, making Tali wince...only for the man to turn back to Shiala. "You mind me getting you and your team out of here?" _Huh_?

The Asari stared at him, then turned her head, looking at her wounded comrades struggling to even sit up as EDI and James quietly moved among them to help with the worst injuries. Her voice was a low mutter. "I'd owe you a second time...yes, get us out of here, we can't do anything more without rest and medical attention..."

Tali, surprised to see Michael actually _caring_ about someone – it was hard to think of him as anything but a monster since his betrayal on Rannoch – watched the man rise to his feet, hand moving up to his helmet. "Cortez, I need you down on this signal to pick up a team of Asari commandos." He didn't wait for the affirmative, instead he turned to the next one in line for an order. "EDI, deploy the second shuttle, have it move down to replace Cortez's one and stay on station."

"Yes, Commander." EDI curtly nodded, the machine rising from an Asari nursing a wound that had cut deeply across her scalp-tentacles, one of them lying limply on the ground, at which the Asari was staring at in horror. EDI though, finished with her treatment, held her gaze fixed on Michael. "Do we move out immediately or wait for Cortez?"

Michael frowned, glanced over to Shiala...and the Asari offered him a short nod, a calm in her eyes, making the man look around to the others. "Tali will leave her turrets here to help the Asari until Cortez arrives, the rest of us move out, we're short on time." He turned back to Shiala. "Good luck, Shiala, it's been good to see you."

The green Asari offered a brief smile. "Oh you'll see me again if I get any say in it, can't have you get all the fun for yourself."

"That's what I like to hear." The man nodded, a brief smile flitting across his features. Then, face grim once more, as if the smile had never been there, the man turned to face the temple. "Come on, we move out before the Reapers can stop us."

Silently nodding, Tali moved to follow the man, feeling uncertain as she shot a hesitant look backwards. There she saw Shiala sigh, turn a weary gaze to her wounded troops...and then lower her head as she began to weep while Thessia burned all around her.

_Keelah_...

8

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for giving me the cutting edge._


	49. Chapter 49

"Liara, are you okay? You've been very quiet."

The words only slowly registered with her, as if travelling through water as they moved through her ear and into her throbbing skull. At first she didn't reply, lips as numb as her heavy feet carrying her up the final steps leading to the temple, body too tired to pay the question any heed.

Then, with a monumental effort, she turned her head to regard Garrus, his dark helmet unable to hide the concern he clearly felt. Liara wanted to offer a smile, some reassurance, but after her initial anger and horror at the sight of her world...there was just no energy left. "My every childhood memory is going up in flames around me, my people, my home...it's all being drowned in a sea of blood..." The Turian looked away even as Liara shook her head, voice bitter. "...I wouldn't want to meet the person being okay at that point."

A moment later an arm was draped around her shoulder, making Liara glance to the left, only to flinch away as she realised it was Tali giving her a reassuring squeeze, making a jolt of guilt shoot through Liara's weary bones. _Dammit, I_..._I can't deal with all this_... "I'm sorry, Liara, but it's not the end of the world, you can always rebuild and-"

_Anger_.

It shot through Liara, hot and unexpected, making her shove Tali aside and glare at the Quarian as blood pumped hard against her temples. "_Rebuild_!?" Liara found herself spitting the word. "Have you _seen_ the worlds left in the wake of the Reapers!? There's nothing but _ash_! Not even _ruins_ remaining, no _air_! What's to rebuild then, huh!? Can you rebuild the _billions_ of lives lost!?" Liara shook her head at the Quarian inching back, voice venomous. "I'm sorry you don't understand what's going on here, tucked away with your little pointless war with the Geth, thinking you know what _true_ horror is. Well here it is, _this_ is the war we've been fighting!" The Quarian slowly shook her head, taking another step back as Liara advanced, furious with the innocence of the other woman. "I can't believe none of you fools have understood this! Does it take a _beacon_ to tell idiots like you that the synthetics systematically wiping out _galaxies_ are _dangerous_!?" Then a hand landed on her shoulder, making her turn her head.

James' face was a mixture of determination and sympathy, his tone gentle. "Doctor...enough."

_I_..._yes_. Liara's shoulders slumped as she nodded and looked over to Tali, her voice a mere whisper. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Tali looked around them, from the top of the stairs they could see far and wide, see the destruction of the city in all its horror. "I...I understand." She didn't sound like it, she sounded shocked...overwhelmed. _Can't blame her_.

Turning her head away from the Quarian, from the view, from _everything_, Liara looked for Michael.

The man...she felt _purpose_ exude from him...Thessia was gone from his mind, the Asari, _everything_...all he saw what was ahead of him, his _goal_. Liara envied him. The man's order a growl as he marched for the old wooden doors barring his path into the temple. "_Javik_."

The Prothean fell in step with the human, he too all purpose as his biotics glowed green, hurling a ball of energy at the doors, slamming them open as if they weighed nothing at all.

No enemies barred their path though, the Reapers having ignored the abandoned temple in favour of living targets._ Guess no one thought there was a chance prayers would work at this point_... Liara, feeling like an intruder, inched after Michael and Javik, the rest of the team behind her as they looked about the grey gloom of the abandoned temple with apprehension.

_I used to love coming here_...

Liara felt her shoulders slump even lower as with sad eyes she turned her head left and right, gazing at the massive statue of an Asari at the far end of the room, then the artefacts placed on pedestals all across the open main hall. Each relic was a piece of Asari history, items from a time before the Asari had even gone beyond Thessia, items so ancient only the finest preservative methods could keep intact.

Methods that now would not be used, if a Reaper didn't destroyed the temple in the next few hours, that is. _Our most ancient history, gone_. To her surprise, Liara didn't feel too much grief about that, her time as a historian was long gone, burnt away by the ruthlessness the galaxy had demanded of her. Her gaze betrayed her though, moving to regard a stone with the picture of Athame and a group of Asari with their hands raised to the skies. _I loved watching that painting when I was eight_... _This_ time there was grief as she felt the memory already ravaged by the memory of her mother's fall, the mother that took her to the temple, now utterly ruined by the knowledge that it would _all_ be destroyed. _Maybe I could take it with me_...? Her gaze moved over the picture to Athame, regarding the shape of the Goddess' head, different from an Asari's...and now all too familiar. Narrowing her eyes, Liara shot Javik a glare and moved on. _Or maybe not_.

Not sensing her anger, or perhaps not caring, the Prothean came to a stop next to a small statue atop a pedestal, head cocked to the side as he regarded the worn features of a Prothean. "Interesting, shame our experiment came to an end before it could bear fruit, clearly, worshipping us would have made it easier to assimilate the Asari into our empire as soldiers..."

"You don't talk about my people like that!" Liara snapped, hand shooting out, the biotic throw knocking the statue off the pedestal and smashing it into pieces upon the floor.

Everyone came to a stop, Javik turned though, eyes narrowing at her. "I have _already_ told you this, what kind of scientist gets angry over the _truth_?!"

"Well clearly I'm too _primitive_ to be a scientist!" Liara snapped back, hands balling into fists. "Clearly the truth, that we were but a social experiment for an arrogant and _cruel_ race, isn't palatable to me! Clearly I find your dismissal of your allies, the _only_ ones capable of winning you your _pitiable_ vengeance, a proof that the Reapers were _right_ to wipe your people out!" Javik's mouth opened, his eyes widening as his hands too clenched into fists, making Liara growl out a chuckle. "Oh you don't like that!? To have your people and yourself insulted!? Well _too_ _bad_! You and your people were a xenophobic bunch of bullies who couldn't beat the Reapers and now you want your bloody revenge. That's _all_ you fight for, and it's _pathetic_!"

Silence.

The two standing a few feet from one another, Liara breathing heavily from her outburst, glaring at the Prothean glaring right back at her...only for his hands to unclench as his shoulders slumped. His gaze was steady though, as was his voice. "It's all I have left."

Again, silence filled the room.

Until Liara could no longer take it, turning her head away from the pain she saw buried deep within Javik's eyes.

Michael's grunt tore through the space though, making Liara sigh in relief as the man broke the silence. "Javik, I need you to focus, I...feel something."

"Of course, Commander, I sense it too. Not a beacon, but a library, as your Asari Councillor said." The Prothean frowned as Liara shot him a conflicted glance. _Damn, you had to say something like that, didn't you_...? "The signal is weak though, perhaps weakened by time or Asari efforts to conceal or extract information from it...I'm unsure where it lies."

"Shepard." There was a hint of worry in EDI's voice as she stepped past Liara – _why is she wearing clothes now anyway_? – the machine's finger pointing towards the statue at the far end. "A body."

Everyone turned around, gazes drawn to the armoured body slumped down against the side of the rounded socket the statue stood upon. "What the...?" James' voice filled the room, taking the words right out of Liara's mouth as the group advanced upon the body with widening eyes. "What's an Alliance soldier doing here?"

Then, they stopped, Liara realising they had followed Michael's example as the human froze to the floor, a pang of guilt reaching Liara through their link. "K-Kaidan...?"

_No_. Liara stared harder, it was impossible to tell with all the blood covering the hunched body's face, but the build was familiar, the Avenger lying next to it being the weapon of choice for the human Spectre...plus...there was something _familiar_ with the sight. _No, no, no_..._Goddess_..._Virmire_.

Garrus and Tali were noticing it too now, all eyes turning to Michael as the man took a step back in horror, his voice cracking. "God, no..."

The body had no face.

There was only bloody gore, strips of bone glittering in the gloom of the temple as white eyes stared out in horror from underneath the dry blood covering his ruined flesh.

"Damn..." James muttered, the Marine frowning at the corpse, then frowning deeper as he looked around himself. "...what killed him? Don't see any corpses, figured he'd take at least a few husks with him."

"Probably a Banshee..." Liara muttered, inching closer to Michael as she watched him stare at the body, face pale. Her hand finally reached his shoulder, making him flinch, but he didn't push her away, letting her hold on as she spoke. "I'm sorry, it's not...right."

Guilt, bitterness...she felt it from him, wave after wave of it...crashing against her. His voice was a whisper. "He was right. I ignored the Catalyst for too long, I didn't...dammit Kaidan, why did I throw you aside...?"

"It's not your fault." Liara muttered back, inching closer until her breastplate struck the side of his armour. "You can't blame yourself for every death in this war..."

"Heh, that's easy to say." Michael sighed, leaning back into her for but a moment, then shrugged. "I should have known by now, war isn't fair, yet it still sometimes...hits me." A shake of his head...and then he lowered it, closing his eyes with a sigh. "Rest well...friend."

Javik's voice cut into the moment like fingers against a chalkboard. "We should focus on our task, Commander."

Liara shot the Prothean a glare, though it lost its edge as she remembered his previous words. She also saw Tali quietly wring her hands, looking at Liara and Michael...and the Asari pulled herself away from the human with a dark pit of guilt and pain in her stomach. _Stop this, Liara, you're not who he_..._just stop_. Michael's attention was focused on the Prothean though, his face impassive once more. "Agreed, Kaidan must have had a lead to the library if he got this far...it feels like it's closer from here."

"Agreed." The Prothean frowned, then knelt down next to Kaidan's corpse. "Perhaps this man is carrying a clue?"

"Eugh..." James and Tali muttered in unison, and Liara felt no better about the sight of the Prothean slowly pulling at the human's armour to try and find a pocket.

Michael sighed, leaning onto the socket of the statue as he shook his head. "Maybe, but I don't think-"

"Prothean presence detected, deactivating firewalls." The new voice held the strange accent of Javik, but was friendly, almost _chipper_, making Michael pull back in surprise as the socket of the statue began to hum, a weak green glow shimmering around it. "Greetings, I'm Servile, your guide through our fine selection of material."

_What the_...? The entire group pulled back as one even as the green shimmer moved away from the socket, turning into a distinct shape of a Prothean. He was far thinner than Javik and dressed in what looked like an extensively decorated robe...though it was hard to tell with the green colour and him being transparent. The hologram's four eyes darted between Javik and Michael. "Which one of you gentlemen would wish to browse my material?" Then his gaze briefly swept over the others in the group before returning to the two holding his attention, his tone turning somewhat official for a moment. "Please note that the Empire dictates disapproval of accessing important material in the presence of slave-species. Also please inform the empire that slave-species have attempted and partially succeeded in mining some data from my library."

"Slave-!"

Tali took a step forward, only to be held back by EDI, the machine's voice reasoning."No, this is good, it believes Shepard is Prothean, let's play along." Tali looked at the others, then Liara who offered a quick nod...and reluctantly sighed as she backed down.

"This is important, too important to worry about...slave-species." Michael replied, gaze fixed on the hologram. "Can I access military information here? Even classified information?"

"_All_ information I have is at the disposal of the servants of the Empire." The hologram actually _smiled_, apparently eager to help. As one, all but Michael turned to Javik, questioning looks in their eyes. _So_..._is that thing more Prothean-acting than him or_...? Javik ignored them though, as did Michael as the later slumped with relief at the next words from the hologram. "Please make your request and I'll retrieve the necessary data."

"Finally, someone willing to help, no strings attached..." The human's mutter was low, tired but relieved...and then he straightened, clearing his throat. "I need all data on the Crucible and Catalyst, as well as any tactical and strategic data on the Reapers and their strengths and weaknesses."

"Of course, sir, I'll _gladly_ imprint a disc with all data in my banks." The hologram grinned even as a click escaped the socket that still glowed ever so softly. A moment later a small slot opened between the feet of the Asari statue, a smooth black disc no larger than a palm appearing a moment later. "There, as requested. Please, come back for any future inquires."

_So_..._easy_? Liara blinked, unsure if it was her own or Michael's disbelief turned into a thought even as the human hesitated before pulling up the disc, staring at it as if he couldn't believe his eyes and sliding it into a pocket in his belt. "I...will read it thoroughly once back on the Normandy, but...tell me, what _is_ the Catalyst?"

The hologram smiled, ever helpful. "Of course, sir. It's-"

That's when the front of the socket to the statue exploded, the smiling hologram instantly fading in a flash of white light, making Liara stumble back with a wince even as a familiar voice called out to them. "Now, now, no need to forward that little bit of information to the Normandy."

_Oh no_.

Whirling about, Liara had her Locust drawn and ready before she even had a target.

There were _many_ of them though.

Falling from the ceiling like a bat taking flight, Kai Leng dropped down onto one knee, smiling up at the group even as twenty Phantoms dropped down just behind him. They weren't alone though. Above, propping themselves up against alcoves near the ceiling, a near dozen Nemeses held their position, rifles trained on the small group.

Kai Leng smirked at the group as he straightened, tone casual. "Thank you for finally coming – I do love your fans reporting whenever you leave the Citadel – and for retrieving the data Cerberus needs, you've been most helpful." Noticing the group's worried eyes, he glanced back before his smirk widened. "Ah yes, perhaps you shouldn't have ignored Grissom Academy's call for help, Shepard...it'll be amusing to watch your failure be the death of you..."

Michael paid the large number of Cerberus elite troops at Kai Leng's back no heed though, gaze fixed upon the dark-haired assassin. "You killed him."

It wasn't a question, yet Kai Leng nodded, smiling. "Indeed, he was such a good blood-hound. You have to love people playing by the rules, paying for their fares, reporting in regularly, leaving a good paper-trail for us to follow..." The smile faded ever so slightly. "Of course, he couldn't find the library he had heard rumour of when he came here, believe me, I asked him _thoroughly_." The smile returned in full force as a low growl emanated from Michael's throat. "Oh yes...I _did_ tell you I read your files. I know what Saren did to Kaidan on Virmire. I figured reliving it would break him...and he _did_ break, Shepard, he did... " A small tut, the assassin shaking his head. "Of course it was no use to me since he couldn't help me, but if it's any consolation it was amusing hearing him lose his mind and believe me to be Saren during his last moments..."

_Horror_, it gripped Liara's heart...only to be smashed aside by hot anger emanating from Michael as the man with a loud growl took two steps forward, omni-blade shooting out from his right fist. "You little-!" Then, he stopped, body taut with a need to kill even as he held it back, eyes narrowing at Kai Leng. "No...you won't goad me like that this time, Leng, you had your chance."

Kai Leng's smile faded ever so slightly. "Ah, a shame." He shrugged, tone arrogant and relaxed. "Still, I have you outnumbered and at my mercy, only now I have to obey my orders before no doubt getting the pleasure of killing you."

"Ah." This time, Michael was the one smiling, a grim and cool smirk. "The dog has been ordered to call on his master, I'm guessing. What, he keeps the leash tight on you?"

Kai Leng didn't answer, his face only turning grim even as he reached for his belt, pulling free a small metal ball and dropping it to the floor a few feet ahead of him.

A hum...and a new hologram appeared within the temple.

The expected grey-haired man appearing in his fine suit was glaring at Michael. He looked tired, tired but determined. His voice was even though, cool.

"Shepard."

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for always rising to a challenge._


	50. Chapter 50

_Anger_.

It boiled in his veins, making his temples throb and his hands curl into claws. His entire being felt like a newly-forged blade, wanting nothing but to shed the blood of his foe.

Behind him, Kaidan lay, the man killed in the most horrifying of ways, a mockery of painful memories. Michael blamed himself, and rightly so. It was he who had sent the man away, let him go out on his own, made him go to his death. He blamed the man's killer even more so though, his mind assaulting him with with images of Thane and Kaidan...of his own near death. _And he's within reach_...

_Rend, kill, maim_...

Michael struggled to contain his rage, like a rabid lion it was clawing at the cage within his chest, wanting to get out, sensing how close he was to letting it go free.

But he wouldn't let it, he couldn't let Kai Leng win that battle.

Instead he kept his gaze firmly on the Illusive Man, though the anger didn't fade. _Traitor, __fool_..._rip him to shreds, carve the names of the dead into his flesh and_...

_No, not yet, patience_. Michael eyed the hologram carefully, noting the tiredness in the man's stance, not quite hidden behind his stiff posture, noting the new lines of age across his face, as if he'd aged ten years since last they'd seen one another...and Michael welcomed the sight. _The war is taking its toll on you too, good_. With a hint of a smirk at the corner of his lips, he offered a short nod in greeting. "Jack."

To his immense satisfaction, having stayed around Tali had helped as he noticed how the Illusive Man paused, shifting ever so slightly as he struggled not to glance at the grim-looking Liara. _Good guess, the Shadow Broker knows many things_... Of course, the Illusive Man wasn't so easily rattled, and clearly noticed Michael's smirk as he re-assumed his cool demeanour. "Shepard, further resistance in pointless, give up that data and I'll let you live, resist and you'll die. The odds aren't in your favour."

He was right. _Ten Nemeses, twenty Phantoms, plus Kai Leng. Room for manoeuvring extremely limited. Bottled up and about to be engaged up close by close combat specialised elite soldiers_..._not good_. Michael shook his head though, dismissing the calculating part of his mind as well as the tiny mote of fear left in his soul as with a growl he replied. "Funny, the Reaper on Rannoch thought the same thing, you _sure_ you have the upper hand here?"

The Illusive Man narrowed his eyes at Michael, but didn't move. "I don't mind you continuing to keep the Reapers busy, Shepard, but I _want_ that data. Give it up to someone who _knows_ how to use it properly."

_I guess you aren't sure then_. Michael felt grim satisfaction at that fact even as he shook his head at the man. "Funny, that's not what Kai Leng told me when he _tried_ to kill me..." In the background, the assassin stiffened. _Proud, eh_? _Good_. "You claimed me and my little war on the Reapers was a risk for all of humanity and its continued survival."

"And you _are_, but with that data you won't have time to ruin our future, to hand us over to the Reapers." Michael, to his annoyance, struggled to keep his face straight, and that was all the Illusive Man needed. "Yes, you worry, don't you?" _Any sane man would_. "Are you really in control of yourself any more? Or are you just an unwitting pawn of the Reapers?" _I_..._I'm not. Those dreams_..._I_..._I'm not_... "For so long you ignored the Catalyst, instead you spent your time urging the galaxy to throw themselves at the Reapers in greater and greater numbers...how long would it have taken you to find it if you'd have focused on it? Alenko here found this data swifter than you, and he didn't have _half_ the resources you did." _I_..._that's_... The Illusive Man cocked his head to the side, a smile behind his cool eyes. "Some might say you for some reason were in no rush to try and save the galaxy..."

_I_..._it's not like that, I have_... Michael felt the others at his back, some worried for him, some frightened, some trying to offer support...and drew strength from that as he straightened. _No, remember that you've thought this through, who you are_. He narrowed his eyes at the Illusive Man, making the man cock an eyebrow. _You will not twist reality with your words again, I'm not for you to manipulate_. "I could say the same thing about _you_."

Silence, the Illusive Man frowning at him.

Michael frowned back, mentally fighting his rage and doubts simultaneously as he focused on his former ally. "I have not been feeding the Reapers our forces as you say. No, I have built alliances, made the galaxy _stronger_, able to hold back the Reapers for longer. But what have _you_ done? You tried to stop the Krogan-Turian alliance, you've been striking at alliance facilities, you've been poisoning Turian generals and tried to destabilize the entirety of Citadel space with your little attack on the Citadel. Have your forces even killed _one_ Husk? Or is that for the legitimate soldiers to do while you stab them in the back?" The Illusive Man opened his mouth, but Michael was quicker as he worked up steam. "_Everything_ you have done since the arrival of the Reapers has served to _weaken_ the galaxy, to make us more vulnerable to the Reapers. For how long can you justify those actions before it starts to ring hollow even to you? How long can you keep up this tragedy before it turns into a comedy?" Michael chuckled, a grim sound as he shook his head at the Illusive Man, taking a step forward, casually ignoring the way Kai Leng stiffened as he glared at the other man. "But no, I forget, you do this for the sake of humanity, right? For a future where we dominate the other races?"

The Illusive Man glared back, silent as his skin creased with lines of age Michael didn't remember from the last time they've met.

Michael wasn't done though, he was shaking his head at the other man, frustration driving his words. "Yet it's not like you could have simply bided your time, focused on securing the safety of humans and let our alien allies fight for us while waiting for the opportune moment to hijack the Crucible and our war-plan? Oh no, you had to _actively_ engage us, to fight and divide...for _humanity_. You've indoctrinated your soldiers with Reaper tech, _taken_ their humanity while _still_ being unsure if they will remain under your control...remember Benning? What is happening there?" Michael snorted, then took a deep breath as he found himself fuming, heart thumping with anger in his chest as the Illusive Man bared his teeth at him. "When does the time come, Jack? When will you _help_ humanity instead of weakening it? As far as I see, you rival the Reapers in the damage you've done to the galaxy you claim to be fighting _for_...isn't that funny?" Michael cocked his head to the side, watching the Illusive Man's eyes shoot daggers at him. "Can you honestly claim still to be on humanity's side? To being yourself?"

The Illusive Man visibly took a deep breath, the hands at his sides actually closing into fists as they shook with an uncharacteristic show of anger. Yet his voice remained calm. "With that data, my time _will_ come, and humanity _will_ be saved, not sacrificed on the battlefield like you intend." Michael felt Tali stiffen at that, the question in her stance, but ignored it as he snorted at his opponent. "And the Reapers _will_ come under humanity's control as I intend, we have nearly perfected preparations and when the time comes-"

Michael laughed, a crude and grim sound echoing through the chamber, making the Illusive Man frown in irritation as Michael shook his head at the man. "Are you even _listening_ to yourself? Even if the majority of humanity dies in orbit around Earth, how could we be stopped from rebuilding and repopulating the galaxy if _you_ control the _Reapers_!? No other race could stand in your way! Yet _despite_ that you've been sabotaging my war-efforts at every turn! You've delayed our preparations, making _more_ of our colonies fall to the Reapers! You've delayed _me_ so I only _now_ have found the trail to the Catalyst! You could have focused on the Catalyst _yourself_, yet instead focused on fighting _me_! There has been _no_ reason for you working against us! _None_!" Michael growled the last words, body taut, wanting to rip the hologram to shreds as he narrowed his eyes at it. "Unless your goal isn't what you think it is..."

Silence.

The two men glared at one another, the Illusive Man's veneer of control slipping as his face twisted into an angry sneer.

Then, with a final snarl, the man turned and walked back towards Kai Leng, his hologram fizzling out as he growled his order. "Kai Leng, retrieve that data. Kill Shepard."

With the hologram gone, Kai Leng's face twisted into a fresh smirk as he dropped into a low guard, sword drawn and ready as he confidently eyed Michael. "This will be fun..."

"No." A new voice called out from behind the man, making him turn his head in surprise. The voice was serene, calm, _familiar_. "This will be _painful_."

The explosion of blue biotics was a fraction too late to catch the assassin as he threw himself to the side, but the two Phantoms he took cover behind cried out in unison as the floor where the man had stood exploded from the impact, pieces of it slicing through their armour and shredding their insides. With him having rolled to the side, Michael caught a brief glimpse of a glowing figure marching through the temple entrance, body aflame with biotic energies. _Samara_!

Then Kai Leng came at him with a growl.

Michael took a step back, levelling his gun at the charging assassin even as he tried to take stock of the situation.

James' falcon managed two shots, and while the first grenade didn't kill the Nemesis it struck, it knocked her off her alcove in the ceiling whereupon she fell to the floor with a shriek that ended with a wet crunch. The second shot struck nothing but ceiling though, the weapon knocked sideways by a Phantom's sword before the man was sent tumbling back by the same Phantom's spinning kick.

Garrus had leapt back behind a pedestal, his Black Widow going off twice and sending two headless Nemeses to the floor. A moment later a volley of return fire wrecked the pedestal and the vase atop it, knocked the Turian's shields out and gouged deep holes in his armour as Garrus scrambled to find better cover.

Liara and Javik stood as one. The Asari's hand stretched out at a charging Phantom and froze the woman mid-step in a haze of biotic power. The Prothean was more direct, deflecting the sword aimed at his head with his Phaeston before his free hand shot out against the Phantom's chest and blasted green energy, blood, shattered pieces of bone and armour through her chest and out her back. Then a third Phantom leapt in between the two. In a deft display of agility her swinging sword knocked the Phaeston out of Javik's hand while her high kick caught Liara in the jaw and her free hand chopped Javik in the throat, making both biotics stagger away with gasps of pain.

EDI made one Phantom stumble by overloading the woman's shields while catching another's swing by the wrist, making the woman shriek and drop the sword as EDI's grip tightened. Then she was knocked back as two Phantoms charged into her, swinging blades forming a dizzying pattern as they again and again met EDI's blocking arms, digging ever deeper into her limbs.

At the other end of the battlefield, Samara was being charged by a group of Phantoms. One fell as the Asari biotically pulled down a Nemesis on top of her, then a second as Samara, aglow with power, leapt over the charging group and loosed several shots from an Acolyte pistol upon their heads.

Tali's drone whipped out from one of her pockets, the purple orb tazing the back of a Phantom that simply ignored it in favour of slashing down on its owner. Tali deftly blocked the strike with her Geth shotgun though, the blade catching between the three barrels...and moments later the phantom's helmet and head melted into sludge when the Quarian pushed her weapon forward and within the effective range of the other woman's shields before firing. Another Phantom was already on her though, giving the Quarian no time to breathe.

At the same time Michael was firing, already sensing it would do no good as the shots of his Revenant slammed into Kai Leng's shields as the Assassin crossed the far too small space between them. As he crossed the final space, Kai Leng leapt high, foot kicking Michael's rifle to the left and out of his hands even as he pulled back his sword for a massive slash.

_Not this time_. Not about to let Kai Leng retain the initiative, Michael let his arms move with the impact of his Revenant being knocked out of his hands, his left hand closing around the right as its elbow shot up while he took a step forward. A grunt of expelled air struck Michael's face as the armoured elbow struck Kai Leng square in the gut, knocking the assassin back with a gasp for breath before he rolled back and up into a fighting crouch, the smirk gone from his lips. Michael calmly looked back, then arched an eyebrow in mockery.

A growl, and Kai Leng leapt forward once more, spinning a bewildering pattern of attacks in front of him as Michael steadily backed away, not about to fall for the feints or be distracted by the whipping blade coming at him as he growled back. "That's the best you got?" An angry shout, and Kai Leng surged forth, sword coming down hard...and loudly clacking against Michael's gauntlets as he crossed his arms in front of him, his voice a taunting hiss. "Guess you're not so good when you can't trick me, huh?" Glancing up, Michael noted the greenish sheen on the blade. _Poison, figures_. He looked back at Kai Leng, snorting in derision. "I guess not."

Hissing in rage, the assassin jerked his blade upwards, pushing Michaels block up...and then slammed the pommel down, cracking the visor in Michael's helmet as he staggered back in surprise. Kai Leng wasn't finished though, he leapt forward, feinting another slash at Michael even as his left foot swept out for a kick at the Spectre's head...only to grunt in surprise as Michael caught the swinging leg with both hands, grim satisfaction filling his heart. _You're angry, you make mistakes when you're angry, thought you of all people should know that_. With a growl, Michael spun and threw the Assassin before he could get out of the grip... sending him head first into the broken socket from whence the Prothean hologram had appeared.

Baring his teeth in anger, Kai Leng lay there, looking up at Michael in clear anger as he held out his sword in an attempt to ward off an attack as he struggled to rise._ Let me help you_... Michael narrowed his eyes and advanced-

And then his world was spinning out of control, his neck hurting from a blow as his shoulder slammed into one of the temple's pillars. Turning, he found a Phantom coming at him, fleeting forward with her sword already swinging. There was no time for him to block or throw himself to the side, instead all Michael could do was to twist where he stood...and for a moment, white light filled his vision...then he saw the broken pieces of his helmet falling to the floor even as the Phantom's back-swing came at him to finish the dazed Spectre.

This time though, Michael _had_ time to move. Ducking low while activating his omni-tool, he found pebbles of marble raining over him as the Phantom's sword struck the pillar behind him. His own blow struck true though, the glowing blade punching up into the Phantom's crotch with a wet crunch and an explosion of blood.

A shriek...and the Phantom slumped forward before Michael roughly shoved her away, sending the corpse tumbling to the floor even as he tried to wipe the blood off his face and take stock of the situation.

EDI was down on one knee. Her incineration attack managed to burn a Phantom to a crisp at point blank range even as another's sword bounced off the machine's reinforced head before cutting deep into the robot's left shoulder. The blow was rewarded by a crackle of broken electronics even as EDI turned to shove the Phantom back with her working arm.

James roared in anger and agony, stumbling back and clutching the left side of his face as a bloodied ear dropped to the floor, then fell onto his back as a Phantom kicked him in the chest. The woman leapt after him, bloodied sword held in both hands and pointing down as she lunged for his chest...and then flew backwards before she could land atop him, her helmet exploding into fragments from Garrus' shot before the Turian dropped onto his knees with a groan as a string of sniper rounds tore through his armour and the flesh underneath.

"Putas!" James' pained curse was followed by a shot from the Falcon he'd just grasped from the floor...and two of the Nemeses hounding Garrus fell from the ceiling with pained screams as Javik's elbow caught a Phantom about to finish Garrus off in the face, cracking it, the following biotically aided punch reducing the woman's face to mush.

Samara was bleeding profusely, the floor slick with purple blood, making a pursuing Phantom slip on her charge, only for her to be caught by the biotic...who with a grunt snapped the other woman's neck even as another slashed at her back, gouging a deep wound down the Asari's back.

Liara was close by though, the biotic hurling the Phantom that had wounded Samara through the air and into a neatly arrayed line of artefacts with enough force to shatter both them and every bone in the Phantom's body. A moment later Liara's pistol was drawn and firing high, making a Nemesis shriek before she silently fell off her perch. Liara had no time to enjoy her success though, as she too was attacked from behind, the slashing blade of the Phantom shattering the Asari's helmet and making her moan in agony before the Phantom sent her flying with a kick to the back.

_I have to_... Michael made to move for Liara...and then his head whipped around at the warbled scream. "Chiktikka!" He looked just in time to see the drone's hologram fade as the orb within was cleaved in two by the Phantom's sword. Crying out in anger, Tali kicked high at the distracted woman, knocking her to her knees with a powerful hit to the back of her head before melting most of her torso into goo with a charged shot from her Geth shotgun. She didn't see the other Phantom though...

_NO_!

Michael was suddenly moving even as the Phantom's swing doubled Tali over as the Quarian's armour cracked. She fell onto her back, all air knocked out of her and purple blood seeping from the suit underneath the ruined armour as she tried to raise her shotgun...only for the Phantom to stomp down on her foot, gripping her sword with both hands and pulling it back for a killing blow.

_NO_!

Then Michael was there, and agony shot through him as the Phantom's blade punched into him, the blade pushing straight through him just above the right collar bone. Groaning, Michael momentarily wondered if the Phantoms too had poisoned blades...and then sprung into action as the Phantom began to twist the blade while pulling back. Grabbing her by the waist with his left arm, he found his right surprisingly weak, but still managed to punch the omni-blade deep into the Phantom's stomach, drawing a gasp from the woman, then a scream as he ripped the blade sideways, gutting her.

_Damn_..._hurting_...

"Michael, I..." Tali's voice was a pained gasp as Michael pushed the corpse aside, hand moving up to grip the handle of the sword still stuck in him. "..._look out_!"

Spinning around, Michael raised his left fist just in time to block Kai Leng's swing as the assassin, smelling blood, drove into him, knocking him several steps back as Michael struggled to remain on his feet, vision cloudy with dizziness as the blade in him grated against bone and nerves. "Time to die, Shepard!" The hiss was followed by a swing that tore into Michael's side, the armour just barely stopping the blow from drawing blood as Michael staggered even further back, trying to regain his footing...

_Pain_!

Gasping, Michael dropped onto one knee, his head spinning and face burning from the kick he hadn't even seen coming, blurry visions seeing Kai Leng approach, only focusing properly once the assassin was towering over him, sword coming down-

And being knocked aside by a growling man, the alien knocking Kai Leng backwards with a tackle. "You will not _touch_ him." Javik's growl was menacing, an _order_. "He's your cycle's last hope, and I'll _die_ before you let him touch him!"

A grunt...and Kai Leng grinned. "Very well." He charged, swung from high as Javik raised his gauntlets for a block. _No_! It was too late to call out a warning for the feint, and Michael could only watch as the sword whipped past the gauntlets as the slash was turned into a low thrust, punching into Javik's gut. _No_...

Javik doubled over, growling as his hands moved to grasp at Kai Leng's shoulders. "F-fool..." The assassin snorted at the Prothean's final word as he took a step back while wrenching his sword free before swinging it over his head for a second attack. This time it was no feint, and the blow barely made a noise as it struck true.

With a crash Javik's body fell to the floor, his head following a moment later.

_No_!

Michael was suddenly on his feet, leaping forward...and only caught Kai Leng's smirk just in time to regain his composure as he barely dodged the assassin's thrust at his foolish charge. But Michael wasn't about to let Kai Leng off and still came at the man, right arm managing to push the second thrust aside as the omni-blade for his left fist activated while he brought it down upon Kai Leng's face. The assassin twisted his blade though and brought it up to deflect the swing past his face with a derisive snort...a snort catching in his throat as Michael drove his swing on and let his left elbow strike his opponent in the jaw.

_This ends now_. Michael's left hand opened, and gripped Kai Leng's sword-arm by the wrist before he could pull it back, the assassin looked up in surprise...and groaned as Michael slammed his forehead into his face. _You end now_. Michael wrenched his left arm upwards, twisting the groaning assassin's arm and forcing it upwards even as Michael reactivated the omni-blade in his right hand. _Die_. He slammed the blade into Kai Leng.

Only to hit nothing but air as the assassin twisted his body aside, his left hand shooting up to grab the hilt of the sword still in Michael's shoulder.

_Pain_!

Gasping, seeing stars, Michael stumbled back, clutching at his wound as through his swaying vision he saw Kai Leng throw aside a broken blade, the assassin suddenly throwing a glance back, making Michael follow his gaze.

Three more Nemeses now lay on the floor, Garrus laying heavily on one as he visibly struggled to reload his sniper rifle.

Tali was pressed up against a pillar, a Phantom that had probably tried to catch Michael unawares lying dead between him and the Quarian even as she struggled with a still living Phantom impaled on the bayonet to her overheated shotgun. The other woman was feebly trying to stab Tali as her blood poured from the blade in her chest, yet would not die or relent as the bayonet desperately sawed in and out of her wound.

James was leaning heavily against a pillar, trying to raise his gun...only to slump down on one knee, eyes dull with pain and exhaustion as his wounded head drew a red smear across the pillar.

Liara, purple blood pouring from her face from a wound curving across her forehead and running down the right side of her face, was feebly struggling to wipe the blood out of her eyes as a Phantom she'd slammed into a pillar slowly slid down to a sitting position, leaving a dark smear after her as blood poured from her cracked helmet.

EDI, her left arm shorn off at the shoulder, was atop another Phantom, her face a concentrated frown as she ignored the woman's struggles while her remaining hand slowly crushed the woman's throat.

And Samara, even with half her right hand cut off – leaving on the thumb and index-finger remaining – was biotically hurling a Phantom into a wall as she calmly met the charge of a second.

It was almost over.

A growl, and Kai Leng launched himself at Michael once more, coming hard and fast on the dazed Spectre, determined to end the fight quickly.

_No, just a little longer and you won't_... Michael grunted as he parried the thrust at his face with his left hand, right clumsily swinging its omni-blade at the assassin's chest, only for Kai Leng to leap right over the swing and nimbly land behind Michael as the wounded Spectre turned.

Kai Leng's thrust was precise, skilled and deadly, coming up low on Michael's injured right side and towards the spot just underneath his ribs, angled to go up through his heart.

Instead, Michael groaned as with all his might he gripped the thrusting blade with his right hand, the limb struggling to obey his commands as he barely stopped the killing blow while drawing his left hand back for a omni-blade enhanced punch.

Kai Leng cursed...and tackled Michael square in the gut as he let go of his sword. Grunting in surprise, Michael dropped onto his back, moving to toss the assassin back...only to find the man already jumping off and running past him. _Why is he_... Michael's hand moved down to his belt...and his eyes widened. _The disc_! Rolling over, Michael stared in horror at the running assassin, watching him move towards the doorway. "Stop him!"

There was only one in position to do so, Samara throwing aside the final Phantom like a broken toy as she turned to face Kai Leng with a calm expression on her face.

Kai Leng barely slowed in his charge as he leant forward, whipping up a blade from one of the slain Phantoms as he charged at Samara. Grunting, exhausted, the Asari raised her left hand forward, body aglow, and the floor in front of her cracked upwards, turning into a hedge of sharp points of steel directly in front of the charging Kai Leng.

A Kai Leng who didn't stop, but simply leapt over the barricade in one great jump, free hand raised to take the biotic throw Samara shot out at him, making him spin mid-air as the energy gripped his arm but nothing else. Yet his body still moved forward...and with the spin his sword was a blur.

Samara gasped...and her outstretched arm fell to the floor with a wet thump..then gasped again as the landing assassin with a final spin sliced a deep cut across her abdomen, making purple intestines pour out and felling the Asari to her knees as her remaining hand mover to clutch at the massive wound.

_NO_!

Michael flew to his feet, forcing his pained body forward into a lurching charge as his left hand moved down to draw his Eagle and put his fleeing enemy in his sights...just in time to see the man met by a shuttle in Cerberus colours touching down, its door opening just as he leapt forward.

_NO_!

Running, shooting, Michael found his shots deflected by Kai Leng's shields as the assassin turned to look at him, a smirk on his lips...before the door to the shuttle closed and it took off with a roar of engines.

_NOOO_! Coming to an abrupt stop at the doorway of the temple, Michael found his wide eyes move to the damaged EDI, ignoring the broken arm she held in her working one as he quickly gave his orders. "Track that shuttle! Have our shuttle and the Normandy intercept! It must not leave the system!"

"Shepard, with all the interference due to the Reapers finding a lone shuttle, even without it using cloaking technology..." EDI slowly shook her head, voice breaking up into a hiss of static for a moment. "...minimal."

Michael stared at her in horror, then shook his head. "No! That's not how it ends! Get a hold of the Asari fleet, tell them to-!"

"They're gone." EDI replied, body swaying for a moment as a weird clicking sound resounded from within her torso. "The fleet was annihilated five minutes ago."

Michael felt himself tense up, his whole body going rigid as he struggled to come up with something. "Then get the Normandy to the Relay! Nothing gets past!"

"Reaper forces are tightening the net on the system each minute." EDI replied, gaze steady as she met his gaze. "If we do that, we and the Normandy will likely end up trapped in the system. If we are to escape, we must leave now." She hesitated...then straightened, her voice breaking up as the speaker rattled within her chest. "But give the order, and I'll tell Jeff, he'll...try to get the data out, I'll make sure of it."

_Trapped_..._but denying the data to Cerberus_..._might__ get it out_..._but if not...trapped...as good as dead...but Cerberus won't_..._dammit_. Michael's shoulders slumped, the taste of defeat in his heart. "No...don't...get the shuttle here, we're leaving..."

_Defeat_...it was gripping him now, a deep feeling of pain and regret worse than his injuries.

Behind him, he heard distant screams as more and more skyscrapers fell, the fire of the city being reduced to ash stinging his back as he imagined the streets running purple with Asari blood as Thessia was ground into dust under the Reapers heels.

And he couldn't stop them, his opportunity lost.

In front of him, his team was in tatters. A bleeding Tali was trying to help Garrus up, though the Turian seemed unable to stand any more. James had picked up his ear as he sat with his back against a pillar, eyes squeezed shut as he held a bandage against the side of his head. Liara was ignoring the blood gushing from her forehead as she stood and stared at the decapitated body of Javik, then out towards the city, despair in her eyes.

And even closer, EDI was kneeling by Samara, words soft. "Commander, she lives."

Mind blank, Michael slowly walked over to the Asari resting in EDI's lap. The machine was using her remaining arm to apply medi-gel and bandages, but Michael could see it was a lost cause, much of Samara's insides were strewn across the floor and the stump where her arm used to be was barely pumping out any blood any longer. She was pale, nearly white...and her large blue eyes calmly looked up at Michael as the man knelt by her.

Silence.

_I'm sorry_..._I'm so sorry I didn't_..._I should have_...

Then, she smiled, voice a whisper. "Five thousand, two hundred and sixty-two..."

Michael blinked in confusion, his lips dry as he managed to whisper back. "Wh-what?"

The Asari cocked her head to the side, a shudder of pain running through her. "It's how many I've saved since...the temple..." She blinked...agony clear in her eyes...yet somehow, her calm endured. "Y-you w-were _r-right_..." The woman's lips, now the only thing blue in her face, trembled with shivers. "R-remember th-that...n-never st-stop fi-fighting. Never..."

Michael stared at Samara for a moment, realising she would never finish the sentence as her eyes stared blankly back at him.

_Another one lost_...

Defeat.

Michael sighed, hand moving up to close Samara's eyes before with an immense effort of will he looked away and rose to his feet, numb gaze taking in the sight of their shuttle coming in for a landing.

He limped towards it, hanging is head as defeat clung to him like a cloak.

_I've failed_ _us_ _all_.

8

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for all the *deep breath* laughs._


	51. Chapter 51

"There, all better."

A dry chuckle escaped Michael's mouth at the ridiculous statement, but the sound quickly died out as he looked around himself. Sitting on one of the beds in the Med-bay, Michael's bare feet were hanging free, brushing the legs of Doctor Chakwas as the elderly woman's friendly smile died under his scrutiny. "Better, that's a good one, doc."

Chakwas shook her head with a motherly frown on her face, concern in her eyes. "Your wound is healing and you're safe, it's better than before, Commander. Sometimes we have to grasp on to the little things."

Michael looked away, unable to meet her gaze. _Commander_..._bah_. Some of the crew still called him that, and Michael, aware of the need to keep morale up, had let them...but at the moment he wanted to be anything _but_ their commander.

Instead he let his gaze wander, past Chakwas, past the concern and comfort he didn't deserve.

On the bed closest to him, Garrus lay. In just his shorts, unmoving from the medically-induced coma as Doctor Michel laboured to remove the many slivers of steel burrowed in his body, the Turian looked..._smaller_. Michael bit his lip in worry, though both doctors had assured him Garrus would be fine, it was still so strange to see the man not only without his armour but...seemingly dead. _Dead_... Michael shivered at the thought. It would be no hardship to be dead, but to have Garrus die...it made his heart quiver in fear.

On the next bed, James lay, the human's ear reattached with the skin and bone around it which had been cut off along with it. Unlike Garrus, the Marine was awake, though his eyes were dull with medication as he read something on his omni-tool.

Two of the squad weren't there. Tali, lightly wounded but coughing due to her allergic reaction, had left the Med-bay as soon as possible to help EDI. Liara had also left a while ago, but with her downcast head and the grief emanating from her, it was for other reasons.

As such, there were only two more in the Med-bay, lying in the beds closest to the AI core, the pair unmoving under the black blankets that had been pulled over them. Michael stared at the shapes hidden by the cloth, one shape short but broad, the other slim and tall. _We need to give them a funeral_... Michael grimaced, with all that had happened, he'd forgotten to hand over Samara's remains to Shiala when he'd dropped her off at the nearest Asari outpost. _Could always go back, not like we have anything better to do_... He'd asked everyone he'd had contact with to try and find a way to pursue or locate Leng...but so far no information was forthcoming, not even the Salarians or Liara could find anything. As such, Michael was stuck, helpless.

A failure.

Not only had he lost two friends and allies, but Michael had also reported the state of Thessia, how it would soon be scorched of life, to the Councillor...and watched as she did nothing but weep before cutting the transmission.

His defeat was complete.

_No, you don't give up, you don't surrender, you fight to your last breath_. Michael sighed, the loose sweatpants and shirt given to him during examination itchy, particular around the plaster covering his wounded shoulder. He rubbed it gently, ignoring the frown on Chakwas' face. _Fine_. "Thank you, Doctor, I...thank you."

Shaking her head, the woman leant closer, eyes serious. "You're too harsh on yourself, Michael. I've been on _many_ ships and none has had the success rate of yours, I've treated a platoon of _five_, all others in it dead, without them having achieved anything... You have done far more than anyone could expect or mimic, and it's not over yet."

Michael looked away, sighing. "I'm afraid that won't be much of a comfort once we've all been harvested..."

The smack struck the back of his head with surprising force, making him look back to Chakwas in surprise, finding her glaring at him. "I'll have none of that, Michael. You're better than that, and we _know_ you won't let this be the end of things."

_Choosing to believe in me_... Michael felt the corner of his lip tug up for just a moment, but in the end, the weariness tore down that mote of pride and hope._ So you'll let the Reapers win_? Michael blinked...and straightened, this time firmly meeting Chakwas' gaze as the anger at the thought of their victory invigorated. "Thank you, Doctor." He took a deep breath. "Do what you can for the injured, we'll have a wake, put the dead in a casket and launch them into space in...ten hours." The doctor nodded, fresh hope in her eyes, thinking it had been her words that had sparked him back into action...and Michael wasn't about to tell her otherwise and managed a thin smile. "Is that all? Can I leave? I have an assassin to catch."

"Of course, Commander." Chakwas took a step back with a pale smile that faded quickly as she spoke. "But before you dash off to battle evil, would you mind checking in on Liara? I worry about her."

"Me too, I will." Michael grimaced, his body feeling heavy and sluggish from the great strain put on it as he dropped onto the floor. Shooting Garrus and James a final look – not having the endurance to look to the dead again – Michael quietly made his exit.

Outside the Med-bay things were quiet. The crew were speaking in hushed voices or not at all as they focused on their meals or whatever errand they were on in maintaining the ship. The atmosphere was a dark and depressed one...and Michael wasn't surprised. Some of the crew indubitably knew someone on Thessia, and as if witnessing the end of an entire world while being helpless to stop it, the world's state reminded them all of Earth and those they'd left behind.

Then there was the mission itself. The crew knew him as 'the Commander Shepard', a _legend_, and legends _didn't_ fail missions...yet there they were, a mission lost. Not only that but they'd lost one of the squad's number and the rest had come back heavily wounded. Michael had been close to death once, true, but he was 'Commander Shepard', _unkillable_...yet now the crew has been faced with the losses incurred from the war in a _direct_ way...and the idea of them being untouchable as the galaxy burnt around them lay shattered, telling them just how perilous their situation was.

Morale had, in the blink of an eye, sunk like a stone.

Michael knew what he should be doing. He should be walking straight, head held proud, maybe tell a joke, pat someone on the shoulder, act the unbeatable Commander and drive the crew's spirit back no matter what they might personally think of the situation.

There was no energy left though, Michael's own morale too low to allow him to give anything...he was..spent. _I'll crack some heads later_. The promise echoed empty in his mind. _Not __good enough, soldier, command doesn't wait until you're ready_. Michael ran a hand over his jaw and the back of his head, noting the thing stubble on his chin with resignation. _It has to this time_. The floor was cool under his bare feet as Michael, head downcast, softly padded past the elevator rather than go right through the dining area and endure everyone's gazes. Some still caught sight of him, but quickly looked away, out of fear or sympathy was hard to tell...and Michael didn't much care at the moment as he made his way to Liara's office.

The door's controls shone red, locked, but Michael moved forward anyway, no words needed as EDI silently unlocked and opened the door for him.

Gingerly, suddenly feeling uncertain, Michael stepped into the dark chamber as the door slid shut behind him."Liara?" He kept his voice low, not sure what to expect as his eyes adapted to the gloom.

The lights were out. Yet the weak glow from the many monitors in the room on the right wall cast a pale blue light that threw everything in the opposite end of the room, as well as Liara's bedroom, into long shadows.

A white boot lay close to his feet, a few inches further in, a greave and another boot lay. Quietly stepping past them, Michael found a collapsed Locust and Phalanx laying right behind them, then another greave, followed by a white breastplate still stained by dried purple blood.

A sniffle made Michael look up from the pieces of discarded armour, his gaze drifting past the crumpled pile of the dark under-suit for Liara's armour as it focused on the bed where he could just about make out the outline of Liara.

She was sitting on the bed, legs together on one side, hands on the mattress and head downcast...and even in the weak light Michael could spot the shimmering of tears running down her blue cheeks. At the sight, Michael's shoulders slumped. "Liara..." Stepping closer, he realised she was at least dressed, though the white cropped top and shorts she'd worn under her armour were clingy from sweat.

At first, she didn't stir, but as he took another step closer, Liara flinched, right hand coming up close to her chest as she turned her head away, a hint of shame reaching Michael through their bond. "You...you shouldn't see me like this."

"Come on, Liara, it's me." Michael replied in a hushed tone, forcing a gentle smile as he slowly moved closer. Though his smile was transparent, his sympathy was at least real and he felt Liara recoil from it, thinking she didn't deserve it. _Silly woman_...

She didn't reply, her shoulders shaking as she kept her face to the side, eyes squeezed shut as Michael padded closer.

He hesitated when he reached the foot of the bed, uncertain. "I'm...not great at these talks..."

Again, no answer from Liara save a muted sob as she slowly opened her eyes, a grim look in them as she gazed down at the bed. But then she shot him the briefest of glances, her voice small and pained. "The Protheans designed us..." _Huh_? "They _guided_ us, wanting us as warriors...we had their _data_, right from the _start_...and we squandered it all, failed them...failed _ourselves_."

"Liara..." Michael muttered, left knee coming up to rest on the bed and hands reaching out...only to drop back down as the Asari inched back, away from him.

"The greatest of potential, Javik said. What's more demeaning, that he was wrong...or that we wasted it?"

Michael grimaced, pushing his left leg further up the bed as he tried to catch Liara's eyes. "You can't think like-"

Yet she stubbornly stared down at the bed, mouth a thin line. "What else is there to think, Michael? Earth is holding, Palaven is holding, for _months_...and Thessia falls in _days_..."

_Pain_. It stung his heart, making Michael shudder as he moved his right leg up onto the bed. "They weren't-"

"Prepared?" Liara sighed, closing her eyes as she visibly shook with a quiet sob. "I suppose not. I didn't warn them enough, I didn't-"

"Hey, that's not true!" Michael suddenly raised his voice, a jolt of anger shooting through him at such a ridiculous statement as he moved closer to the grieving Asari, hands reaching out for her-

Only for her to deflect them with her own hands, turning her head further away as her grief pushed away his anger. "I could have done _more_! I had the resources of my entire network at my fingertips and I couldn't even convince my own people to prepare for war!" Michael didn't relent though, hands coming forth again, pushing hers to the side as he moved closer, ignoring her attempts to get away as she kept pouring her heart out. "I could have put more time into that project, put more agents to it, more resources, I could have blackmailed the political leaders and, and...and..."

Then Michael had her, left arm around her waist, right holding the back of her head as he pulling her as close as possible, lips close to her ear as her struggles stopped. "And you could have gone down to Thessia and single-handedly killed every Reaper." Sensing her hesitation, he continued. "You're only one Asari, Liara, you ask too much of yourself."

In his arms, the Asari trembled. "That's not...I'm-"

"You joined me almost four years ago..." Michael interrupted, voice soft. "...when nearly no one else believed, you followed without question, despite your youth and inexperience, you did what most others wouldn't dare to _think_ of. You fought your own _mother_, you defied the Shadow Broker and rescued my body, you _defeated_ the Shadow Broker and then spent _every_ resource available in preparing for the Reapers. _You_ were the one who found the key to defeating them, _no one_ else." His hands moved as he leant back, holding the sides of Liara's face as he forced her tearful eyes to meet his gaze. "Don't _ever_ think you've not done enough."

For a moment, Liara _just_ stared at him...only to force her head down as a loud gasp escaped her. "It's _not_ enough! It's never enough! We can't-"

"We _can_." Michael replied, ducking his head to try and find Liara's gaze again.

She wouldn't let him though, her whole body shaking. "Thessia is lost, _billions_ dead, the Asari are-"

"_Not_ finished." Michael interrupted, not about to let Liara go down that path of thoughts. He knew too well how dark it was, and what it did to those that went down it. "Your fleet is still there, dozens of worlds, _billions_ more remain." Through their link, he felt a tremor of terror. "And they'll _continue_ to remain once we're done, thanks to _you_."

"Y-you can't promise that...you ca-can't..." Liara was gasping for breath, panic gripping her as her body shuddered harder and harder, making Michael mirror it as the hands on the sides of her face held on tighter, as if he somehow could stop her slipping into shock with nothing but his grip. "They're going to keep k-killing, we can't finish the Cr-crucible, and the R-reapers wo-won't just kill us!" Michael grimaced, a tear of sympathy suddenly stroking his cheek as he blinked, an old memory of when he was going to Ilos coming to mind, of when Tali had come to him, how she'd stopped the pain... "They'll tu-turn us in-into tho-those th-things a-and-"

Michael's hands moved down, winding around her waist as he pulled her close...and Liara stiffened in surprise as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, gently rocking her back and forth. "Shh...shh..." He hushed her, realising no words in the world would help as he continued to hold her.

Shivering against him, Liara tried to pull back, hands coming down between them and trying to push him away as a meek whimper escaped her. "I...I don't...deserve..."

"Shh..." Michael didn't relent, holding on to the trembling Asari as they fell sideways atop the bed, his arms holding her even tighter as the Asari's hands stopped trying to push him away and instead moved over to hold him as well, her shaking slowly subsiding. "Shh..."

"I..." Liara whimpered, head bowed low as she hid her face under his chin, her arms holding on tight to him, as if afraid he'd disappear at any moment as tremor after tremor shot through her body. "I j-just wanted..."

Michael didn't answer, he simply held on...and felt the Asari in his arms slowly stop shaking, her breath brushing his throat as her breathing turned from panicking gasps to deep breaths before turning into the calm respiration of a resting woman.

Silence.

Closing his eyes, Michael took a deep breath, the scent of Liara tickling his senses even as he relaxed. _Wish we had more moments like this, that all pain could go away like this_... He smiled, one hand moving up and down Liara's back. _No complications, no war, just_..._us_.

"I...I'm okay now." Liara muttered, sounding tired as her hands released their fervent grip on him, the woman reluctantly pulling away from him. Michael didn't let go though, arms only allowing her slightly more room as the memory of him and Tali before Ilos returned, of the regret that had followed...a regret that by now had turned into grief._ I just...I just want some happiness before_..._before it ends_. Liara, now able to look him in the eyes, nervously licked her lips, her large blue eyes deep as the sea widening as her breath nervously hitched, a breath tickling Michael's lips. "Y-you can let go now..." _I_..._I'm tired_..._tired of pain, tired of grief, of regret_..._I just want_... "M-Michael?"

He kissed her.

Softly.

Gently.

Slowly.

And then he pulled back, lips and brain tingling as he opened the eyes he didn't realise he had closed, finding Ta-_Liara's_ eyes staring at him, consuming his vision as his hands slipped round to cup her chin.

Then he kissed her again, watching her eyelids flutter before they closed, a muffled whimper escaping her as her hands moved to his back, then up into his hair, making him close his eyes as well as a shiver of pleasure ran down his spine. _Just_..._no worries, no anguish_.

He caught Liara's bottom lip, giving it a gentle bite, making a low moan escape her as her hands moved to his shoulders, voice low. "Michael, I..."

_No complications_. Growling, a hunger gripping him, Michael rolled Liara onto her back, him atop her as his hands wandered down from her face.___Happiness_. He found her legs, fingers gripping the smooth skin as he moved them up around his waist, and the Asari wrapped them tightly around him with a low groan. _Pleasure_.

_Simple_. "Michael..." The moan barely reached his ear as Michael's lips found her chin, then neck. His left hand moving over a trembling stomach, then under her top, a firm breast filling his seeking hand. _Right_. "Michael..." His right moved up from her leg, then down between them, making Liara jump at the brief contact of his hand against the front of her shorts before its thumb hooked under his sweatpants, desperately tugging at them to free his straining need. _Good_. "Michael!"

Blinking, his heart beating rapidly in his chest, Michael pulled his head back so he could look at Liara.

She was breathing as rapidly as he was, a deep pit of desire not only her eyes but through their link as well. Yet the desire was held back, tempered by something else, something that gradually won out as her breathing slowed and her legs let go of him, her eyes fixed on his. "You don't love me." It wasn't a question.

Blinking, Michael opened his mouth, but no words came as he felt a stab of guilt in his gut. His hand slowly – as if capable of sneaking away unnoticed – slipped out of her top as he shook his head, finally making his lips move, words a pained whisper. "That's not true...I...I..."

"I know." Liara's features softened, hand coming up to briefly stroke his cheek. She blinked, something wet in the corner of her eyes. "I know, but..." A soft sigh, and she raised her head, the sudden kiss on his lips lingering, but this time without the desire he'd felt only moments ago. "...not like that." A brave smile appeared on her lips, though its corners shook. "I'm sorry if my feelings confused you and made you-"

"_No_, don't say that." Michael interrupted, his cheeks flushing as embarrassment began to win out of his desire and confusion. "It wasn't like-"

Liara's finger found his lips, stopping his protests and attempts to shield her from hurting any further, warmth coming from their bond, pained, but _caring_. "It doesn't matter." She hesitated, swallowed...and then managed another smile. "Go to her."

Michael felt a chill run down his spine, guilt and fear gripping him in equal measure. "I really shouldn't, not when...after all that's...I..."

Liara shook her head, once more placing her finger on his lips, the caring from the bond soothing him. "It's okay...go to her."

Michael stared at her.

And she looked back, quivering lips smiling, dark blue eyes brimming with tears, in pain over her decision, but standing by it.

_You don't deserve this_.

Michael felt nothing but sympathy, bitterness and caring for the woman under him...and then forced himself to gently de-tangle himself from her, to awkwardly get off the bed and turn away. It made it easier to speak, to make his voice steady. "I _do_ love you."

"I know." Liara replied, voice small as a sniffle escaped her. "Now please go, I...I think I need to cry for a bit."

"Okay..."

Not daring to hurt her any further, Michael walked away.

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for enduring me._


	52. Chapter 52

_You don't love me_.

Liara's words rang through Michael's head, carrying with them a mountain of guilt and regret, all the more so as he approached his destination.

Ignoring the glum expressions on the engineers at their stations, Michael barely had enough energy to go where he was heading without additional burdens, instead he moved past them and towards the ship's Drive Core where Adams had claimed his quarry to be.

_Tali_.

Tali had her back to him as she faced the softly humming Drive Core, head tilted to the side as her hands swept over the controls in front of her, a small coughing bout escaping her without slowing down her typing for even a moment. _You don't love me_. The truth of Liara's words struck him hard as he watched the back of the Quarian, feeling his heart quaver in a mixture of fear and anticipation.

Nervous, Michael came to a stop, hands moving down to tug his newly acquired uniform straight._ Right, you can do this. You're Shepard, you're the saviour of the Citadel, you fight Reapers head on, you're a fucking grown man, you can talk to the woman you love_. He grimaced, taking a deep breath. _Right_..._easy_..._real easy, so I'll just go then_. His feet didn't obey, making him growl at himself. _Go_.

He lurched forward, the first step the hardest, then his feet remembered what to do and his steps grew bolder even as he raked his suddenly empty brain of what to say. _Maybe I should have had a plan_...? He sighed, shaking his head. _No, no plans, not with this_.

Tali stiffened before he even reached her, the Quarian turning her head slightly, then her body as the glowing eyes under her visor momentarily widened at the sight of him. Then she turned her head away, hands moving forth to hold one another in front of her lap. "Co-Michael..." She hesitated, a low sigh escaping her as she kept looking to the side, away from him.

"Hi..." Michael managed, annoyed with how tame he sounded. _Well_..._contact made, now engage and_..._I don't know, slowly advance into the difficult part_..._damn, I think I prefer war to love, at least it's simpler_. Looking about himself, Michael desperately raked his brain for something to talk about.

Tali was quicker though, tone hesitant as she looked back to him. "So...Thessia...is it...is it always like that?" _Huh_? Michael blinked, confused, making the Quarian wring her hands as she hurriedly added. "I mean, so bloody...so...brutal?"

_Ah_. Michael shrugged, tired at the mere memory of all the slaughter, of all the death. He owed her an answer though. "Pretty much, wherever the Reapers go in strength, there's a slaughter or something close to it. Earth's like Thessia by now, Palaven is more of a losing battle than a massacre...entire systems have been emptied of life." He frowned. "And...shouldn't you know this? Didn't you read the reports?"

"I _did_." Tali snapped somewhat defensively, only for her to look away again, a cough escaping her as her shoulders slumped. "It's just so hard to...take in, I guess."

Michael grimaced, he'd heard that all over on the Citadel...of those living there unable to comprehend the horrors the refugees had endured, and despite them having been with him for so long, Michael was not surprised at the level of devastation taking his old comrades by surprise as well...one had to endure it to fully understand. Yet that set him aside from them, he _had_ seen it happen before the Reapers had even arrived, seen worse happen to the Protheans via their beacon...and as such he would never share the feeling of horror the others felt. "It isn't surprising, no one was mentally prepared for what came."

"Except you." Tali quietly noted, a hint of sadness in her voice as Michael flinched. _Mentally_? _I_..._don't know about that_. "How's Liara taking it?" _Guilt_. It bore into Michael like a dagger, and though he struggled not to reveal it in his face, he knew Tali would see it in his posture. To his surprise though, the woman nearly put a hand on his shoulder before she pulled it back as she hesitated. "You couldn't have saved Thessia you know...it's not your fault."

_Oh, she thinks my guilt is over that part_... Michael hesitated. He took every loss personally, but the loss of Thessia _had_ been unavoidable at that point, his guilt was over losing Javik and Samara, over Leng getting away with the data, of what he had nearly done with Liara... _Maybe I should_..._tell Tali about it_? The thought chilled Michael's bones, Tali was not the type to take kindly to other women, and given how she'd joked about her being nervous about him and Liara back when he'd been together with the Quarian...the outcome wasn't good. _Later, when_..._later_. "I know, I'm just...frustrated, I guess." Taking a deep breath, Michael looked up at the Drive Core, unable to look Tali in the eyes. "As for Liara...she's not in a good state but I think...I think she'll be okay."

To his surprise, he _did_ think that. Liara was strong even before he'd met her, and all that had happened had perhaps ruined her innocence and chipped away part of the kindness of her character...but it had also hardened her enough to endure the trials she was now being put through, to _survive_. In fact, she would not only get past what had happened, if he knew her right she would be one of those leading the rebuilding of the Galaxy...if she survived. Tali's voice cut through Michael's thoughts on the matter, something he was grateful for as his mind focused back to her voice rather than that icy grip of fear in his heart. "Oh, that's good...I know she and I aren't exactly the best of friends, but I'd never want her to be hurting in any way...she deserves better than that."

"Yeah..." _Dangerous territory_. Michael looked about himself, his brain finally functioning properly. "...and hey, where's EDI? I thought you were fixing her?"

For the briefest of moments, Tali looked at him with a cocked head, a hint of worry and curiosity in her posture, then she shrugged, a hint of pride in her voice even as she coughed. "Please, I've told you before, I'm a Quarian, I finished fixing her mobile platform an hour ago, as good as new."

Michael couldn't help the grin stealing its way to his lips. "I should have known." Then he looked up, smiling. "I hope the arm's adequate, EDI?" His smile turned into a smirk. "She didn't change the plating for some cheap knock-off so she could steal the original, could she?"

"Oh great, a joke about thieving Quarians, stay classy, Michael." Tali grumbled, leaning back on the console as she crossed her arms over her chest, looking grumpy, though her voice betrayed her amusement, however hesitant it was.

_Great, a connection, now keep it up, a joke about humans, maybe_? Hopeful, Michael opened his mouth to reply, only for EDI to cut in, apparently taking his question seriously. "The limb is working as it should, Shepard. I'll gladly show it when this platform is less busy."

"Oh, _good_." Michael huffed, annoyed with the interruption...and then blinking in confusion as the meaning of the words caught his notice. "Wait, what do you mean, 'less busy'? What could possibly keep it busy on the ship?"

"It's currently busy having intercourse with Jeff, Shepard."

Michael blanched at the frank reply. "I...wh...excuse me?"

In front of him, Tali's head dipped low, her visor darkening with her blush as a hand shot up to rub the fringe of her hood and clear her throat. "Keelah..."

"Well..." Michael swallowed, shifting awkwardly where he stood. _Too much information, my poor brain_. "...okay then..." _Actually, I can't even_..._is she just making fun of me_!? "...wait, how are you even _capable_ of-"

Instantly, Tali's hands shot up, pressing lightly but insistently against his chest as she looked up at him, glowing eyes wide in contrast against her dark visor. "That's not...we don't need to know that, do we? I mean...isn't it enough already?"

Amused by Tali's clear nervousness Michael found a grin steal its way to his face in preparation for the teasing answer...only for it to instantly soften into a smile as he looked down, realising the Quarian was touching him. She too noticed that fact, hands awkwardly tightening their grip as she looked away, unsure what to do. Gently, Michael took the top of her hands and pulled them off, letting her escape the awkward choice of keeping them there or letting go. "Yeah, okay."

"Okay...good..." Tali muttered, visor remaining dark as she put her hands together, the digits fiddling with one another, her shoulders shaking with a sharp cough as she looked away. "So...any leads on Kai Leng yet?"

Michael grimaced, irritated with how the Quarian had ruined the moment. _Dammit, fine, you want space, to talk about something neutral_. He took a step back...and Tali shot him a glance, a hint of regret in her stance, making Michael struggle not to feel hope. "Not yet, but everyone is working on it." He narrowed his eyes, gaze drifting past the Quarian, imagining the smug assassin's face as his anger rose. "I _will_ find him though, and when I do..." His hands closed into fists.

"I know." Tali replied, making him focus back on her in time to see her carefully edge forward, staring at his chest. "It's...who you are. Saren couldn't escape you, the Collectors couldn't...what chance does a Cerberus agent stand?"

Michael hesitated, then he too took a step closer, chest tightening as he nervously whispered. "You...still believe that...that I'm...still me?"

"I..." Tali hesitated, making Michael's blood run cold...and then she looked up at him. "When you saved me in that temple...it was like in Fist's office four years ago, like nothing had changed, you were..._you_." She shook her head, looking away even as Michael struggled not to reach out for her, to not get his hopes up...and failing at the later. "And with what I've now seen...I...I _understand_ why you did what you did on Rannoch, I can even...I can..." She looked up at him, and he saw how it hurt her to speak the words. "...I can even _approve_ of it now...however much it pains me to admit it. Without the Geth...maybe the Quarians would die anyway, like all other life...so you doing what you did...I...it was the right call."

_It doesn't matter_. Michael's heart ached for her now, he wanted to reach out, to hold the Quarian clearly in pain over the words she'd just spoken...yet he held back, watching her breath hitch as she struggled to continue.

Then, to his horror, she looked away, shoulders slumping. "But..." _No, no, no_! Michael's face fell as the Quarian continued. "...I can't just...I...I _care_ so much, yet..." She looked up at him, and Michael struggled to hold her gaze. "...you put a _gun_ in my face, you were ready to pull the trigger." Michael grimaced, arms trembling as he struggled not to launch himself at her, to simply hold her until all the bad went away. Instead he watched her shake her head even as she looked away. "I can't just let that go, not...I don't know..."

Michael swallowed, a thick lump in his throat as he struggled to speak. "You...you don't know if you can forgive me?"

"I...with the Reapers...and your hatred of them..." Tali sighed, still refusing to look back at him. "...I don't know if there's room for me there...or if I _want_ it."

It _hurt_...yet Michael stood there, frozen to the floor. "You don't...think we could ever get back together again?"

"I..." Tali looked up, her posture tense, wanting, yet holding back. "...I honestly don't know."

Michael felt himself shiver. "That...terrifies me."

The Quarian looked back down to his chest, her eyes large, her shoulders shaking, her voice small.

"Me to..."

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The corridor was carved through brown rock.

People in glass tubes lined its sides, screaming as they were dissolved, screaming for mercy, for _help_.

He ignored them.

Bounding forward, he was a blur, slashing and punching his way forward.

Cerberus soldiers were screaming orders, shooting, retreating.

Dying.

Roaring his defiance, his _hatred_, Michael hurled himself at them. He carved through their armour, their flesh, spraying their blood over the tubes, over the walls, turning the corridor into a murky painting of death and suffering.

Ahead, the corridor ended with a large wooden door, a pair of Marauders guarding it from atop a mound of Asari corpses.

Throwing aside the last Cerberus corpse, Michael launched himself at them.

They fired at him, their bullets tearing into his flesh, ripping great holes in his body as he heedlessly bounded forward.

Then he launched himself forward, over the mound of corpses, into the Marauders, ripping their throats out even as they crashed through the door, shattering it, the pieces catching fire and sticking to his body, searing his flesh.

The pain was nothing, his hunting eyes looking ahead.

He was in a dark room, the floor perfectly polished and reflecting the light cast from the twin stars, one blue and one yellow, struggling against one another in the distance.

His eyes were _fixed_ on the person in the middle of the room though.

The Illusive Man was sitting in his chair, one leg over the other as he calmly smoked his cigar.

His voice was calm, yet distant, as if speaking from a far greater distance. "Shepard."

A snarl, and Michael launched himself forward.

With a crash, he knocked the Illusive Man's chair over as the man himself was felled onto his back, Michael atop him as the man tried to protest.

Michael silenced him by closing his fists around the man's throat, making the costumed man buck in pain..and then go limp as Michael's thumbs, now dark claws, dug into his windpipe.

Roaring into the dead eyes of the man, Michael's claws dug in further, dark blood and flesh filling his hands before he with a snarl ripped outwards, sending pieces of gore flying as he spread his arms wide in victory.

"Good work." Turning, Michael found Garrus approach, the armoured Turian's rifle lowered as he grinned. "A bit brutal, but it got the-"

Then the right side of the Turian's face was ripped off, making him drop onto his knees with a gasp of surprise...as Michael bounded past him and towards the doorway before he even knew he'd been moving, claws now stained with blue blood.

He came through the doorway, senses barely recognising Thessia as he caught sight of Liara, the Asari looking at him with a sad look on her face as her hands hung limply at her sides.

Then she was on her back, Michael atop her, howling at the sky as he held up her heart, crushing it in a clawed fist.

"M-Michael...?" Turning, he found Tali staring him, large green eyes wide in horror as her visor fell from limp hands.

No hesitation.

No horror.

He felt nothing as he leapt at her.

Her breath brushed his face, a small gasp escaping her as Michael's fist, firmly embedded in her chest, found her rapidly beating heart.

He ripped it out...and the Quarian stared at him in horror...and then crumpled to the ground.

_Wait_..

Michael blinked, looking down at her, at his own ruined flesh of grey and blue...and took a step backwards.

"**And now**, **Shepard**..." He looked up...and the glowing eyes of Harbinger stared down at him as the Reaper descended. "...**you are **_**mine**_."

"No!"

He sat up straight, the shout echoing through the room as with large eyes he stared around himself. _My room_..._isn't_ _it_? Moving a hand up, Michael ran it through his sweaty hair,more uneasy with the his dreams than usual._ They're getting darker every night_. He grimaced. _No, that doesn't mean anything._ He nodded to himself, breathing a sigh of relief. _Right_. "EDI? Is someone at the door?"

"Yes, Shepard, I was about to call you, how did you know?"

Michael grunted as he got up, casually throwing the robe he'd left on the floor on and tying it together. A tired sigh escaped him. "Just an educated guess, someone _always_ wants to talk to me."

"I could send her away, if you wish."

_Her_? Suddenly wide awake, Michael felt a glimmer of hope as he turned to the door. "No, go ahead, send her in now." The door opened...and Michael's heart sank. "Oh...hello, Traynor."

"Sir?" Samantha arched an eyebrow at the muted greeting as she stepped in, hands behind her back. "Is this a bad time?"

_Of course it wasn't Tali, you fool, it's too soon to think she's made up her mind_. "Of course not, Samantha, what can I do for you?"

The woman bounced a little where she stood, a grin appearing on her lips. "Sir, we've got something."

Michael stared at her, eyes widening.

Then he was moving for his closet, eagerness powering his limbs "War Room, now, I'll be there in one minute."

Traynor's grin widened, a hand shooting up in a salute. "Yes, Sir!"

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being the the most awesome person I've ever met, and a merry Christmas to all of our readers and reviewers._


	53. Chapter 53

The War Room was, as always, dimly lit.

As Michael entered, he let the hum of the dozen of computers in the room wash over him. It was the hum of data being streamed to them, processed and catalogued. It was the sound of intelligence reports, of Reaper and Cerberus troop movements being registered, of special forces from a dozen races on a hundred worlds accomplishing or failing their missions. It was quiet and indistinct, a soothing buzz as individual deaths and losses lost all meaning, almost turning into a soft music as each tone added to the whole.

It was a music Michael was well familiar with by now, something echoing within him as he marched into the room, Garrus hobbling forward at his side.

Michael shot his friend a glance, unsure if it was wise to let the man out of the Med-bay already, but the Turian had insisted once he'd gotten wind of something happening. Though he was now back in his armour, Garrus still looked smaller than he usually was as he limped forward, and though Turian faces were difficult to read, Michael had enough practice to know that his friend was hiding a fair amount of pain.

Of course, commenting on that would be about the worst thing he could do, so Michael kept his mouth shut as he turned his gaze back to the three women waiting for him, standing in front of the room's central holographic projector.

Leftmost of the group, Michael was not surprised to see Samantha Traynor standing straight, hands behind her back. _Still trying to be a soldier, I see_. Despite his weariness from his defeat, the mess with Liara and Tali, not to mention the exhaustion from his sleep – or rather, his lack of it – Michael found himself inwardly smiling at that, she'd more than proven herself already, though apparently it was never enough.

Nor was it a surprise to see Liara in the middle, however painful it was. Yet despite the fresh wounds she'd so recently suffered, the Asari looked surprisingly at ease. She was properly dressed in her doctor's clothes and wore a friendly smile on her face. Yet through their link Michael felt surprisingly...little...as if she was keeping her emotions held back...or rather...away from _him_. Not that it wasn't apparent in her stiff posture in how she was holding herself together, how fragile she truly was. _I'm sorry_.

Trying to hold back his own guilt and sympathy so as to not shake Liara's already fragile self-control, Michael turned his gaze to the last one of the group...and instead flooded their connection with surprise. "Chakwas? What are you doing here?"

"All in due time, Commander." The grey-haired doctor replied, a motherly smile on her lips...a smile fading as she turned her gaze to Garrus. "And I recall telling you to stay in bed, Mr Vakarian. Isn't Doctor Michel supposed to be watching you?"

"What can I say?" Garrus shrugged, barring his teeth in a grimace of pain at the movement, a grimace he turned into a smirk. "I have my charming ways."

Snorting, Chakwas shook her head while crossing her arms in front of her chest. "I'll have to talk to her about professionalism later then." She shrugged, then gestured to the other women. "But right now we have other issues at hand. Traynor, I believe you were to start?"

"Of course." For a moment, there was a flash of nervousness in Samantha's eyes, then she smiled and gestured at Michael to join them as she turned towards the projector at her back. "If you could join us, Commander."

Conscious of his distance to Liara, though unwilling to make that apparent, Michael moved to stand at Traynor's left side. A natural choice, given the group, and one that kept Samantha between himself and the vulnerable Asari. Garrus, on the other hand, ended up next to Chakwas, the Turian casually ignoring her disapproving frown as he focused his gaze on the projector, anticipating a hologram to appear at any moment.

Which it did, first it was but a glowing orb of white and blue, but it swiftly expanded, turned into a familiar shape, a shape that made Michael frown. "So...you transferred the galaxy map here?"

"Patience, Sir." Traynor chided him, sounding slightly smug as she continued. "Now, you've instructed everyone to find a way to locate Kai Leng, correct?" Before Michael could reply, the woman continued. ""Of course, with him in a small shuttle using cloaking technology and an entire galaxy to look through, we've all had our work cut out for us." She shot him a smirk, as if to tell him how ridiculous his request had seemed at first, but her smile faded as he eagerly waited for her to continue, making her sigh and give him an uncertain look. "However, I made the supposition that Kai Leng would not pass through Reaper controlled areas, given the value of his cargo..."

She hesitated as Michael frowned. _Kai Leng is cautious, yes, he doesn't attack unless he feels he has the advantage, and he wouldn't dare risk his cargo_... He nodded, making Traynor's shoulders slump in relief. "That makes sense, good idea."

Nodding, Traynor turned back to the hologram, raising her glowing omni-tool. "With that in mind I removed all systems under Reaper control from my search..." With a small explosion of light, a quarter of the galaxy turned black. "...as well as any systems where Kai Leng would have to cross Reaper territory when leaving Thessia." More systems disappeared, leaving two thirds of the galaxy remaining. _And we've only been in this war for what_..._a_ _few_ _months_? Michael shot Garrus a worried look, a look the Turian returned in kind.

The Turian then turned his attention back to the hologram though, tone uncertain. "That's still a lot of territory to cover, and I'm guessing asking every military with a presence there for suspicious activity would just flood our computers with garbage data?"

"I'm afraid so." Traynor nodded with a grimace, but then grinned as she turned her head to the right. "Which was why I went to Doctor T'soni here for some help. Doctor?"

Furtively, Michael shot the blue woman a look, but Liara had her gaze fixed on the hologram, her own hand coming up to touch it as she spoke. "With my contacts, I've been trying since before the Reaper invasion to map out Cerberus' activities, and with some success, despite them working in separate cells. Cerberus casts a wide net though, and if we trust my sources, I could only exclude a few systems from Traynor's search parameters." A few more areas on the map turned black. "However, you remember how you asked me to keep track of Miranda's movements, Michael?" She turned her eyes to him.

Michael swallowed, there was a wall behind Liara's eyes, a wall he hadn't ever seen before...and he knew it was his fault it was there. _Focus on the mission, the Reapers is all that matters_. "Yes, I couldn't offer her alliance resources as she wished, but that doesn't mean I didn't want to give her a safety net."

"Yes, well, she might need it, she's hardly acted with safety in mind." Liara turned her attention back to the hologram. "Her movements have been relatively easy to track, she's left quite a few craters and bodies in her wake." _Why am I not surprised_...? "More importantly though is that her attacks have been at either high-profile agents within Cerberus or their larger facilities. While Cerberus casts a wide net, only a few of their active cells are larger operations, and Miranda's preference for them has leant itself to mapping out their organisation in more detail." With a hum, a large piece of the galaxy map began to glow blue. "This is her primary area of activity, and given her pattern of movement, some areas are where we believe she might later go." One of the areas turned an even darker shade of blue. "Since Miranda is hitting high-profile targets of Cerberus', and Kai Leng is likely to go to such a place, there is a tangible connection. Even if not, if we can target such a location ourselves, we might be able to track him down using their own systems."

"That's a lot of systems in the Attican Traverse..." Garrus noted with a sage nod. "Not surprising, Cerberus no doubt had the facilities there to aid human expansion, now they've been turned into facilities for waging war." Then he shook his head. "Even so, that's not a lot to go on, we could be hitting tiny Cerberus cells that couldn't tell us anything."

"Perhaps, but more importantly is that I could more easily go through these systems in search of clues." Traynor added, the woman's eyes aglow with eagerness as she raised her omni-tool. "In fact, various reports from the Alliance and our allies have shown dead zones in communications in several of these systems. While they have assumed this to been the Reapers', my own analysis of the _way_ communications are blocked shows that the dead zones have more familiarity with when Sur'kesh and the Citadel were under attack, ergo, Cerberus' doing." Michael found himself leaning forward, he too feeling eagerness fill him as several systems bloomed up in a dark orange, a few overlapping with Miranda's blue, a few even within her _dark_ blue, where she _might_ go."And where Cerberus goes through the trouble to block out communications like that, we're sure to find something _big_."

A grin spread itself over Michael's face as he looked at the map. "Using the lack of a signal as a beacon...clever work, Traynor." He slapped her back, making the woman grunt as she nearly tipped over the projector.

"Oh, thank you, Sir, but we're not done yet...Doctor?"

To Michael's surprise, it was not Liara who spoke up, but rather Chakwas, the woman shooting Garrus a final frown before turning to Michael. "I'm sure you've forgotten about how you ordered me and Doctor Michel to take samples of the Cerberus troops we recovered from the attack on the Citadel? Not to mention those other times we've had time after a skirmish with them?"

"Of course I remember." Michael frowned. "I remember everything regarding this war."

"And I'm sure Miss Chambers would have had a few choice words about that." Chakwas replied with a frown of her own, then shook her head as she put her hands behind her back and straightened. "Anyway, our analysis has yielded an interesting result. You see, only five percent of the troops have been identified to have prior affiliation with the Alliance, mercenaries or other paramilitaries, people that would be ideal recruits for a Cerberus army, the rest were far more difficult to identify and I had to turn to Liara here for assistance with accessing less obvious registers."

Michael, now impatient, turned to Liara, his question quick. "And?"

"Eleven percent couldn't be identified, but the rest were found in various databases." Liara evenly replied, shooting him a calm look that put a damper on his eagerness._ I'm sorry_... Suddenly turning her head away, Liara sighed, though her voice betrayed no emotion save the usual tiredness that by now permeated everyone on the ship. "The rest, however, could be found in all manner of dna banks."

"Oh, I _got_ to hear this, what kind?" Garrus grinned.

Rolling her eyes, Chakwas was the one answering. "Sperm banks, mortages, bank accounts, memberships in various organisations, tax registers."

Michael blinked, confused. "Wait, that sounds like..."

"Normal people, yes." Liara nodded, eyes fixed on the map as she spoke to him. "Remember what Kai Leng said on Thessia? 'Perhaps you shouldn't have ignored Grissom Academy'? These soldiers weren't actual soldiers before when the war started, they were civilians."

"Damn..." Garrus whistled softly, though his face was frowning in disapproval. "...never underestimate Cerberus' ability to disgust you...bet those civilians didn't approve of having Reaper tech inserted into them and being turned into Cerberus drones..."

"They probably had nothing to say in the matter." Chakwas retorted with a glare aimed the Turian's way before she turned back to Michael. "Anyway, many of them had been registered as refugees, and if not for the chaos of the war, I'm sure more would be so, I'd bet my license on it."

"Considering what's at stake, I'd say you're betting more than that on it." Michael replied solemnly, nodding to himself. _It makes sense though_... "Traynor, have you-"

"Way ahead of you, Sir." The woman replied with a grin. "Let me mark out the major targets of human refuges..."

Instantly, red dots appeared along the galaxy...and Michael's eyes widened in disbelief as he found a single dot appear where Miranda's dark blue and the Traynor's orange intertwined. "Where is that...?"

"The Shadow Sea, Lera system." Garrus grunted, knowing Michael already knew the answer. "Horizon..."

_That son of a bitch_... Michael turned his head up. "EDI, have Joker set the course immediately!"

"Yes, Commander." Came the calm response.

Sensing his mind, Liara shot him a look. "To be fair, we don't _know_ if Kai Leng will be there. It could just be-"

"Doesn't matter." Michael snapped. "This is the best lead to a large Cerberus facility we have and I'm going to use it to find that little twat and then I'm going to ram his sword so far up his arse he'll _taste_ it." The others, save a grinning and nodding Turian, exchanged a disgusted look at the picture he painted, but Michael didn't care, eyes afire with eagerness. "Excellent work, girls, you've just saved the galaxy." Turning, he stalked towards the door, mind already in the armoury. "Today the fortune of war swings _our_ way..."

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being my Avenger, and happy holidays to all our readers and reviewers._


	54. Chapter 54

Underneath Tali's feet, the shuttle rumbled as it descended down Horizon's atmosphere.

As always, she felt nervous before deployment, as anyone with any sense would feel...yet it was stronger this time. She had seen the horrors of the Reapers first hand now, and though she'd seen much of Cerberus even before the arrival of the Reapers, the reports she'd read and a dark pit in her stomach told her it would be worse this time. Though what could _be_ worse than stealing Thorian spores and infecting people with them or trying to turn Rachni into pets, Tali wasn't sure.

_And we've been in better shape to tackle it_. She glumly looked around the shuttle.

Javik was gone, making the shuttle...emptier. And the rest of the group didn't look their best either.

The cut over the side of Liara's face had been perfectly healed, yet she still _seemed_ wounded. The loss of her planet was still fresh in _Tali's_ mind, as such she couldn't even _imagine_ how Liara felt about it. Though she held her head high, face impassive, Liara couldn't hide what she felt with her posture, and being a Quarian, Tali saw it all too well. The woman actually seemed even _worse_ than when they had left Thessia, as if the knowledge of its loss was only now beginning to dig into her, wearing her down to an exhausted shell. Tali had hesitated in trying to offer comfort, held back by silly suspicions that no proper friend should feel...and of course when she'd finally worked up the nerve to do so Liara had been most evasive, clearly not wanting the help, or rather, not thinking she deserved it, no doubt blaming herself for Thessia's fate. _Poor woman, she's a mess_.

EDI looked perfectly well,which was no surprise, an AI might be sentient, but that didn't make it emotional._ Then again, she says she loves Joker, and I kind of_..._believe her. What is that if not emotion_?_ Maybe she's just harder to shake_..._heh, like Joker_. Tali found some comfort in that, however bad it got, some didn't let that get them down. _Of course, it helps having each other_... Tali grimaced, still shaken after her conversation with Michael.

Like all organics in the shuttle, James looked tired, but he also looked grumpy, an annoyed frown on his face as over and over he reached up, hand touching the side of his helmet. Each time he touched the protective gear his frown deepened, his feet shuffled and a small grunt escaped. Just as Tali threw him a glance, he did it again, and Tali was not surprised by his glum mutter confirming her suspicions. "Stupid stitches are itching like crazy..."

"Cry me a river. " Was the dull response from Garrus. Of all in the team, he was the only one sitting down. The Turian had argued with Chakwas and Michel for quite a while before turning to Michael, wanting to come along on the mission. Being a Turian, Garrus was good at masking pain and looking tough, but Tali could see he was visibly struggling, not yet fit for duty, as the Doctors had said. Even Michael had been reluctant to bring the man along, noting that he needed the extra gun, but not being comfortable with using the man holding it.

James looked like he was about to snap back at the Turian's dismissive tone of his problem, but then shook his head as he watched Garrus' posture...apparently one needn't be a Quarian to see the Turian was suffering. "Sure, but I hear Turians aren't very good at swimming, so that might be a bad idea."

Garrus chuckled at that, straightening in his seat as he turned his attention back to the rifle in his lap, hands caressing the barrel. "You and Joker ought to put an act together, you could call it 'Mr Smartypants and Meat Mctalkscrap.'"

"Damn, that sounds fun, except I look horrible in a bow-tie." James grunted, making Tali arch an eyebrow. _Do I even want to know what that is_...? _Humans are weird_.

On cue to her thoughts, there was a shuffling of feet from the cockpit as Michael finally stepped away from Cortez, even with his back to the group, Tali could tell he was frowning, in 'commander mode'. _Commander mode_...

The thought made Tali shudder. It reminded her all too much of their hunt for Saren, of the broken shell Michael had been._ Is he_..._is_ _he_ _like_ _that_ _again_? The thought scared Tali, but then she mentally shook her head._ No, he's not as_..._before, different_. She frowned. _But_..._in a good way_? _I_..._don't_ _think_ _so_.

It was odd, she had meant every word when speaking to Michael, despite how alien it was to her...she could _understand_ why he did what he did on Rannoch, she could even _approve_ of it. _Me approving of risking the Flotilla's existence_..._who could have seen that coming_? Part of her wondered if that approval only came because of the loss of Kal'Reegar and Shala'Raan's and Gerrel's betrayal...what was there for her back with her people besides pain and regrets? She pushed that thought aside though, her loyalty to her people had never faded, and never would...yet...in the grand scheme of things, their actions seemed so petty in a burning galaxy...how could she _not_ understand Michael's choice?

Yet, did that equal forgiveness? To dare to try to be with him again? No.

_He threatened to kill me, he was ready to do it_. _How could I love such a man_? _Be with him_? The answer was painfully obvious. _But that's just the thing, isn't it_? _It's_..._painful, to not be with him_..._to not have him_..._it hurts_. Glad for her visor, Tali grimaced, frustrated with Michael and their situation, but mostly herself. _If he died this instance_..._what_ _would_ _I_... Tali winced, the thought too much for her. _Dammit, Michael, damn my heart_! Grumbling she turned her attention to Michael, watching the man shift where he stood, obviously surprised by something Cortez had told him. _No, this is stupid, and I shouldn't let such fears dictate my emotions, I_..._I need to be rational about this_. _Fact is that he was ready to kill me, fact is that he's completely dedicated to his war, fact is that_-

"Are you sure?"

Michael's question interrupted Tali's thoughts, making her crane her neck as she tried to catch an earful of what the men were talking about.

She didn't have to, as a nod from Cortez made the man turn and take a step towards the group, his expression grim. "Right, listen up." His gaze moved across the team, expression grim, a tiredness Tali didn't like in his eyes. "Seems we're late to the party, the shuttle's systems are detecting smoke coming from the Sanctuary facility."

"Shit!" James grunted, eyes widening with concern. "You think the refugees are okay? There's supposed to be hundreds of thousands down there...!"

"I don't know." Was Michael's frank response, his stance weary. "That said, this is now a combat drop. We go in with guns drawn." He shot James a glance, somewhat reluctant as he gave his next order. "Watch your fire for civilians, but I want any resistance neutralized." His gaze turned grim. "Our primary mission is still intel, we want the location of the data. If we don't get it anyone we'll save will simply die later. Top priority goes to live prisoners, be they Cerberus officers or scientists. Given Cerberus' love for ocular implanted explosives, I've had Tali here build a jammer that should stop any attempts to detonate them." He shot the Quarian a glance, his face still grim even as his body shifted, showing a hint of the tension they both felt after their talk.

Tali nodded though, keeping her voice steady. "Well...I only tried it on a few corpses Chakwas supplied, so I'm not sure it works, but if it does anyone within a few feet of me shouldn't be able to detonate their implants." She patted the cylinder attached to her hip.

"Looks like a can of food." James commented, sounding confused.

"Well...I couldn't find a better casing for it." Tali sniffed, feeling her cheeks flush. "It's just the container, there's no food in it." The human arched an eyebrow. "I _did_ wash it."

Garrus chuckled, patting the cylinder with a grin before throwing Tali an awkward glance and pulling his hand away from her hip, his voice was a casual drawl though. "Our success rests on a something our resident Quarian scrounged up and shoved into a can of soup...now why does that actually reassure me?"

Ignoring the snicker escaping both James and Cortez at that, as well as Tali's growing blush, Michael continued as if he'd never been interrupted. "Whether we can or can't capture any live prisoners for interrogation, we will strive for capturing any computers or databanks they have intact. This is vital to the survival of the galaxy, people, I can't stress that enough." He turned his head, looking back as he raised his voice. "Cortez! I want the shuttle within visual range of the facility at all times, _anything_ tries to leave and you'll paint it." He barely paused to hear Cortez's quick confirmation of the order before he turned his head upwards. "Joker, anything Cortez paints you bring down, cripple it if you can, blow it up if you must, but _nothing_ leaves this planet without me saying so."

"You know, you're kind of creepy when you give orders like that, like some megalomaniac with his eye on world domination...just saying." Joker replied through the radio, then, as if _sensing_ Michael's frown, he added. "I mean...yes, Sir, Spectre Sir..."

"Right, good enough." Michael grunted, brushing past Tali, throwing her an uncertain glance before turning to face the door, drawing his Revenant. "Prepare to deploy, we fan out and find cover, then act as the situation requires."

A hum, and Tali felt the shuttle decelerate as Cortez brought it down to land, his voice strangely muted. "No hostile activity spotted, sir, visibility low though."

Then the shuttle doors opened and Tali leapt after Michael before turning, making sure Garrus – the Turian moving slower than he usually did – jumped out without trouble. A moment later she was moving, automatically finding a good piece of cover as she had done dozens of times before, the action more instinct than training by now. In that short span of time she noted two things though, first that there was a lot of burning debris around them, second that there was a lot of _bodies_.

Behind them, the engines of the shuttle roared as Cortez took off, but Tali barely noticed it as her gaze swept across the surrounding area, eyes widening even as Garrus grunted. "Clear so far..."

The only reply was a muttered gasp from James. "My God..."

Built in a forest, the Sanctuary facility kept most of its structure underground like most refugee centres. Built in the middle of nowhere and appearing as little more than a lone office building, it was inconspicuous and unlikely to draw attention...one of the few ways one could defend oneself against the Reapers when not commanding a fleet. As such, there were large pine trees surrounding the squat building of grey and white stone, some of which had been cleared away to make room for a large space of black asphalt that served as a landing pad...a dull picture if it wasn't for the bodies, burning wreckage and large turrets that stuck out from the ground surrounding the landing pad.

"Goddess...what happened here?" Liara asked, echoing Tali's thoughts.

Michael straightened, eyes narrowing as he looked to one of the closest turrets. "That's an automated AZ-five anti-air turret, usually hidden underground unless activated." He turned his gaze around, seeking out the still smoking wreckage of some twisted metal. "That's a shuttle, and all of the remains here suggests there were more that were destroyed...perhaps by the turrets?"

"Then why didn't they fire on us?" James muttered, grimacing as he stared around himself. "Someone deactivated them? Cut the power, maybe?"

"Possibly." Michael agreed with a bitter nod. "If Cerberus found someone trying to escape their facility, I'm sure they'd be willing to blow up the shuttles to keep the location of their base to spread."

"That's a lot of escapees though..." Liara muttered back, nodding at the bodies, forcing Tali to look more closely at them.

There were _mounds_ of bodies strewn around the landing pad. Most lay face down. All looked like they'd fallen trying to run from the building ahead, a building whose large central doors had been bashed open. Garrus swore something under his breath. "Damn, there has to be over a hundred dead here..." He turned his gaze, looking towards the forest behind them. "And if they were heading away...I'll bet we'll find more out there if we looked."

"Shit! Look at them!" Tilting her head, Tali looked to James, finding the man's face turn red in anger as he squeezed his Falcon tighter. "They're just civilians, dammit! Cerberus is going to _pay_ for this!"

"I'm not sure it's Cerberus that's responsible for this." EDI noted, her voice toneless as her eyes swept over the carnage. "I see no bullet wounds, some were killed by the blasts of the exploding shuttles, no doubt, but most seem to have received stabbing or slashing injuries, and I deem it unlikely that it was the work of an army of Phantoms."

James whistled, sounding worried. "Damn, you're not saying..."

"If the Reapers are here, we'll deal with them as we go, our objective hasn't changed." Michael snapped, hand moving to wave the squad forward. With that, they slowly moved their way over bodies while taking as much cover as possible, eyes fixed on the building ahead, wondering when a sniper or _anything_ would appear to stop them.

Instead, EDI spoke after a moment of thoughtful silence. "My systems have detected no Reaper activity in this system, in fact, going here would be far out of the Reaper forces way...unless they sent a task force, I find it unlikely that this was the work of the Reapers."

"So what _is_ responsible then?" Michael grunted, kneeling low to look at one of the dead, a lanky woman lying face down in a puddle of blood, her back shredded into a gory mess. "Because it looks like their work."

"I don't know."

EDI's frank response sent a shiver down Tali's spine, her grip tightening on the Geth shotgun in her hands. _Keelah, this is like going into the lair of the Thorian all over again, not knowing what we'll face_...

A tense silence fell over the group, the scrapping of their boots unnaturally loud in Tali's eyes as she swallowed, sensing herself as well as the entire group go nervous as their imagination went wild in trying to determine what was ahead of them.

_Keelah, I'm sweating_..._I hate the wait_..

Then, halfway to the building ahead, there was a scrapping sound to their right.

"Tali! Flank left! James! Right! Garrus, give me a target! EDI, Liara, on me!" Michael snapped the orders instantly and the team moved as one, forming a semi-circle facing the source of the sound with a precision only veterans were capable of on the field, ready to face anything.

Despite that, Tali breathed a sigh of relief as a squeaky voice called out, trembling in fright. "Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" A small dark hand shot up from behind a corpse, then another one, followed by a curly-haired head of a dark-skinned human boy, his scrawny body shaking with fear as his wide eyes stared at the many guns pointed at him. "I'm not a monster! Please!"

Slowly, the group lowered their weapons, exchanging confused looks.

_Poor thing_... Noticing that the boy was still shaking as his hands remained in the air – and no wonder given that he wore nothing but a sleeveless shirt and a pair of blue boxers – Tali was the first to move. Collapsing her shotgun and attaching it to the small of her back she sighed and moved forward, hands already moving to her medical pack and pulling out a thin silver blanket intended for people in shock. As she came closer, the boy shied away, hands coming down to the ground to drag himself away even as his wide eyes stared at her with a mixture of confusion and fear. Seeing that he was too weak to resist, not to mention _not_ really about to refuse the blanket she held in front of her, Tali closed the distance and wrapped the material around his shoulders while kneeling next to his small frame. Unsure, she didn't deal with children even on the Flotilla, Tali kept her tone friendly and soft. "There, is that better?" _Keelah, he can't be older than eight_...

"What..." The boy looked down at his blanket, his hands moving within it to pull it further around himself before he looked back at him, the fear of his eyes dulling ever so slightly as he frowned at her in confusion. "...what _are_ you?"

_Ah, the Flotilla and Alliance hasn't had much contact, so I suppose the younger ones wouldn't know about us. Well at least __I__ get to make the impression, rather than rumours and stereotypes_. Tali caught herself smiling. "I'm a Quarian." She paused, watching the boy digest the information that apparently didn't ring any bells. "And my _name_ is Tali'Zorah Vas Normandy." This time, there was a brief flash of something in the boy's eyes, his brows creasing in a thoughtful frown as he tried to remember something. "What's yours?"

"Theodore...but everyone calls me Ted." The boy replied, gaze momentarily moving from her face to the bodies around him, his body visibly shivering at the sight before his eyes moved, looking up at the next person kneeling in front of him.

Michael was smiling, though his body spoke of impatience that made Tali frown at him. Noticing her looking at him, he took a deep breath...and some of that impatience faded from his posture. _Better_. "Hello, Ted, I'm Michael Shepard, a Spectre."

"A Spectre!" The boy gasped, eyes widening as he stared at the other human. "Th-th-that's like a hero, right?"

"Some think so, yes." Michael muttered, grimacing ever so slightly. "Now, I need you to focus...what happened here?"

"I..." The boy stared at the man, then down at the ground, then over to the dead...and then lowered his face into as he pulled his knees up to his chin, his voice turning into a muted mutter. "...I don't want to..."

Michael frowned, moved forward...only to be stopped by Liara's hand briefly touching his shoulder before the Asari knelt down on the other side of child, her hand on his back as it began stroking it up and down. "It's okay now, you're safe..."

"Yes." Tali agreed, squeezing the boy's shoulder from the other side, trying to keep her voice as soft as the Asari. "No one can hurt you now."

"I...I don't know how to..." The boy hesitantly looked up, turning his head as he looked to the Quarian and Asari in turn, eyes puffy. "...it all was so fast and...so many things happened..."

"Perhaps you can explain what you meant with, and I quote 'I'm no monster'?" EDI suggested, the machine stepping up behind Michael with a curious look on her face.

"Well...I'm _not_." The boy replied, voice numb as he stared at the synthetic before him with eyes wide of wonder. "Wh-what are _you_?"

"EDI, a pleasure to meet you, Ted." The AI replied, offering a small bow that made the boy's lips quaver in a hint of a smile.

"Okay, so you're _not_ a monster, we believe you." Garrus drawled, the Turian stepping up next to EDI, sighing. "But what is?"

The boy didn't answer at first, his eyes wide as he stared at Garrus as if the Turian was a ghost, making him arch his browplate as the others exchanged curious looks. When he spoke, the boy's voice was trembling, but no longer with fear. "Th-the things that k-killed everyone...s-sir."

Michael, looking slightly amused, looked up at Garrus, nodding to the Turian to continue, which the former C-Sec officer swiftly did without ever looking away from the boy, face serious without being unfriendly. "And what did they look like? Where did they come from?"

"L-like..." Ted licked his lips, shivering at the memory. "..._people_...but _not_..._weird_..." He shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment as Tali felt him shake under her hand, when he opened them again, his gaze was fixed on Garrus, as if finding some kind of calm in the grey eyes so steadily looking back at him. "Th-they came from...inside..."

"Inside the base? Inside Sanctuary?" Garrus pushed, though his voice almost held a gentle quality, something that made Tali throw him a surprised look, not sure she'd ever heard him speak like that.

The boy nodded eagerly at the questions. "Y-yeah, there were these doors...you weren't allowed to get in before you've signed all the papers and waited your turn..." Ted grimaced, shaking his head. "I...I came here alone...it was a _lot_ of papers...a lot of people to wait for until I could enter..." His face screwed up, but no tears came as he kept staring at Garrus, the boy visibly swallowing as he held back his emotions with a force of will. "Th-then...then they opened and those...those _things_ came out...e-everyone started dying a-and...and I ran..." Under the blanket, the boy gestured at the landing pad. "I...I came out and there were...shuttles exploding, those _things_ shooting them down..." He nodded towards one of the turrets at the distance, then fell silent, his lips trembling as he turned to stare at the ground.

Moving to stand next to Michael, Garrus knelt, the sound Turian's movement enough to make the boy look back up. "And then what happened."

The boy's face turned slightly darker. "I...I _fell_..." He kept staring into Garrus' eyes, despite a look of shame crossing his face. "...and I just...lay still, people were dying a-and...and I didn't want to die too...so I lay still as everyone ran for the forest, th-those things going after them...I...I didn't want to die."

"Hiding, clever." Garrus nodded in approval, making the boy offer a hesitant smile. "And what of these turrets? They look offline."

"They...they were moving around, looking upwards for a long time...then..." The boy shrugged. "...they just stopped...then...then these men came..."

"Men, what men?" Michael suddenly asked, the man inching closer with an intense look on his face.

Ted shot him a frightened look, but after a glance at Garrus his shoulders visibly dropped as he replied. "They came in three shuttles, wore white...I...I saw the Cerberus logo...I heard they're bad...so I didn't dare say anything...they walked into Sanctuary..."

"Damn, and no shuttles in sight." Michael growled, hand coming up to his helmet. "Cortez, Joker, eyes and ears out, we have Cerberus shuttles hiding somewhere in the foliage." The next second his eyes were staring at the boy once more, glowing with intensity. "Now, this is very important, was there a man in black there? Possibly carrying a sword?"

The boy stared at Michael in fear, then swallowed before nodding. "Y-yeah...h-he looked mad..."

Michael slapped his thigh, face splitting into a grin as he jumped to his feet. "Yes! I _knew_ it! Ted, I love you!"

Giving the Spectre an uncertain smile, the boy straightened slightly. "I...I did good?"

"_Better._" Michael grinned. "If you weren't so young I'd make you a bloody Spectre for this."

Rolling her eyes at him, Tali shook her head. "Michael, maybe we should take Ted here to-"

"Wait...you're Michael Shepard!" The boy interrupted, eyes alight as the pieces finally clicked into place. "You...you're that hero!" Before Tali could react, Ted was on his feet, staring at the group with a new light of energy in his eyes.

"Oh boy..." Michael smiled at the others in the group, looking amused even as Liara and Tali rolled their eyes in sync, knowing Michael's fame was widely spread, and however deserved it was, it was kind of annoying. "...yes, kid, that's me, now if you-"

"Which makes _you_ Garrus!" The boy shouted, even more exuberant as he fixed his gaze on the Turian next to Michael, making both human and Turian blink in surprise. "Oh man! I _knew_ I recognised your face!"

"Errr..." Clearly taken aback, Garrus rose to his feet, shooting Michael an awkward look that was met with a clearly surprised shrug. The Turian was a celebrity after all he'd done, but nowhere _near_ Michael's status, _especially_ around humans. "...I suppose I am, yes."

"Oh man! I'm like your _biggest_ fan!" Ted shouted, the human taking two steps closer to Garrus before stopping, though there was no stopping the eager look in his eyes and the excited words tumbling out of him. "I have _all_ your action figures! A replica of your armour fitted for humans and even your visor that doubles as an omni-tool! Oh! And of course your music album!"

Snickering, Tali watched Garrus arch his browplate in surprise, baffled by the gushing of the human as much as his words. "I...have a music album? Shouldn't that be something I know about?"

For the briefest of moments, an amused smile appeared on Liara's lips. "If you want I could retroactively secure your royalties, Garrus..."

"Why thank you." Was the dry response, the Turian opening his mouth to speak on, only for him to awkwardly grunt as Ted stepped close enough to touch him.

The human, as if forgetting the horrors surrounding him, was grinning at the Turian. "Could I have your autograph!? Oh, and if you're not busy, could you teach me to shoot like you!? Oh! Oh! And could you-!"

Michael interrupted the stream of words by putting a hand on the boy's shoulder, a conspiratory look in his eyes as he turned to Garrus. "You know...with Cortez busy watching the skies, you in need of some lighter combat duty, and I in need of someone watching this exit to make sure no one escapes...how about you find a nice spot to keep an eye on the door and take Ted here along with you?"

Garrus' eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in hostility, making Michael arch an amused eyebrow even as the boy began to bounce in eagerness, struggling not to interrupt the grownups. "Really, Michael, I think I would be better..."

"Now, now, Chakwas said I should put you on lighter duty and I _do_ need someone to watch this exit...besides, I can't spare Ted a ride with these Cerberus shuttles about...it's a _perfect_ solution." Michael grinned down at Ted. "You can talk about how awesome you are."

_Oh dear_... Holding back her snicker, Tali watched as Liara and James struggled to do the same as Garrus shot angry glares Michael's way...but in the end he didn't have much of a choice and his shoulders visibly sagged. "_Fine_...but only because Chakwas would kill me otherwise."

"Whoppie!" Ted exclaimed, hand instantly shooting up to grab Garrus as he dragged the reluctant Turian with him, a Turian shooting a smirking Michael a look of utter despair. "Hey, is it true that you were like a superhero on Omega!?"

"I don't have any powers..." Garrus muttered back even as the group followed the pair moving towards one of the turrets with amused eyes.

"Oh, like Batman!?"

A sigh. "Yes, like Batman..."

"Oh! Do you need a sidekick!? I'm really fast!"

Grinning, Michael turned and headed for the building ahead, the man looking a little less tense than usual as his usual grim mood momentarily lifted. "Ah, that felt good."

_I've missed that smile_..._not predatory, not out of victory_..._just_ _happy_. Following, Tali couldn't help but smirk."And you're a little jealous that the boy's Garrus' fan and not yours..."

"What? No! No...don't be silly...I was..._surprised_, that's all."

"Sure..."

"I was!"

"Whatever you say."

"James, help me out!"

"Sorry, Sir, I'm with Sparks here."

"I hate you guys..."

8

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8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for dragging herself out of her grave to help me._


	55. Chapter 55

The group's humour had faded moments after they entered sanctuary.

The dead on the landing pad had been strewn about, dark shapes one didn't need to look at. Though Michael would never look away from such horrors, there had still been something impersonal about them, their bodies too distant to be anything but a shape.

Within the building though, things were different.

The white tiled floor was practically covered with dark blood, the walls splashed with crimson streaks and hand prints. Within the first few lobbies of the building the bodies lay thickly together, wide eyes staring at nothing and intestines opened to the world from vicious attacks one would expect from an animal.

Yet that was _nothing_ compared to what followed. As the group found the stairs leading down to the next level, and then the next, and the next after that...the bodies grew ever more numerous. Everyone had fallen trying to escape, their arms reaching out for the exit, their numbers growing to the point that the silent group had to walk on top of them to make any progress.

There were far less dead in the rooms flanking the corridors they walked through, living quarters where still unmade beds and ovens on standby spoke of breakfasts interrupted. A few bodies were found within though, many having hidden under their beds, only to be killed by whatever monsters had chased those in the corridors

Behind him, Michael heard James mutter a constant string of curses even as his link with Liara told him the Asari was sick to her stomach with the stench and horrifying sights around them. Tali and EDI were eerily silent, one too shocked for words, the other knowing no words would help.

Silently, Michael led them ever deeper, each new level bringing more dead, more blood, more horror.

Then, at the tenth level, the rooms changed character.

No longer were there living quarters flanking the corridors, but instead there were labs. Their sterile lights were were still on, though flickering as they illuminated desks, tubes large enough to hold a man, gore-streaked operating tables and vicious-looking tools looking more like torture devices than operating equipment.

The rooms weren't the only thing that changed though.

The bodies under their feet were now no longer truly human, nor killed by claws or blades, but guns. Twisted, changed. There were women without skin that seemed to have died mid-stride, their fingers shaped into long claws. Others had still glowing eyes, grey metal welded straight into their skulls, their muscles covered in thin bands of glowing blue lights that were all too familiar. _Reaper tech_. Michael let his eyes move left and right, noting the various shapes of the dead..._creatures_...and he knew what they were.

Liara had drawn the same conclusion, her voice low and muted. "These are all in various stages of becoming Cerberus troops...aren't they?"

"Shit, you're right..." James muttered, the marine prodding a dead Cerberus soldier lying in a corner, the claws of a skinless woman still buried in his neck as his rifle pressed into the hole in her chest, a swathe of bodies surrounding him. "...guess they weren't quite ready to obey though, huh? Looks like they rebelled."

"Someone must have let them out before they were ready." Liara softly replied. "Goddess, look at them all, it's enough for an entire army..."

"Yeah, well, turning civilians into an army of drones is about as evil as you can get." James grunted back. "Whoever sabotaged this should get a freaking medal."

"The same person which unleashed these monsters on those civilians above us, you mean?" Liara sharply asked. "There is nothing good that has happened here."

As James grumbled something under his breath, Michael remained silent, hesitating at the sight of the Illusive Man's project...or rather, his own thoughts on it.

_It's_..._monstrous_..._but_ _so_..._so_ _smart_... The thought horrified him. _Would I, have I had the resources and time_..._been willing to do the same_? _To turn helpless civilians, something draining our resources and needing protection, into soldiers, something we desperately need now_...? The answer was terrifying. _B-but I'm not like him_..._am_ _I_? _I_..._I_ _can't_ _be_...

He didn't realise he had slowed down until Tali was walking next to him, the glow of her eyes within her visor fixed on him, voice soft. "You're not him."

Michael shot her an appreciative look, yet then frowned, looking forward. _Does that mean I'm less dedicated than him in beating the Reapers_...? A sharp shake of his head interrupted that line of thought, a low growl escaping him._ No, he's a fool who's been sabotaging the galaxy's defences from day one of this war, I will __not__ doubt my dedication in comparison to __that_! He felt Tali hover around him, wanting to offer kind words even as conflicted as she was...and growled as he widened his steps. "Let's locate Kai Leng before he escapes."

"Oh...yes...of course." Tali murmured, sounding worried.

Michael brushed it off, once more focused on his task, on the _hunt_.

That's when, in the distance, he heard the sound of steel striking steel.

8

8

8

"Get down!" Hissing the order, Michael moved down the last step of the light-less stairs and took cover behind a fallen column that lay in front of the second set of stairs leading to the next level.

Around him, the others scrambled to obey in the darkness, weapons coming to rest on the column as they aimed down at the scene below.

It was a spacious lab, the equipment scattered around the room suggesting something more subtle than turning people into indoctrinated soldiers, though with most of the lights in the lab destroyed, it was hard to see just what the equipment _was_. And considering that each stair before the current had ended in a corridor, when this entered a lab, Michael guessed they'd reached the bottom floor, the only sign of there being anything but a single lab at the level being a closed door to the far left of the room.

Michael's gaze was fixed on the people below though, the grip on his Revenant tightening at the scene unfolding before him.

Two dozen Cerberus soldiers, most of them Centurions, but two Phantoms as well, were standing in a circle, facing inwards as they watched the duel there unfold.

_Kai Leng_! _Miranda_! Gritting his teeth, Michael watched the flash of steel as two blades met over and over before separating, the assassin regarding the ex-Cerberus woman with a cool smile. "I figured your father had taught you fencing, got to have his little girl be perfect...I'm sure he was very proud until the moment you killed him."

Circling to the right, Miranda held her blade pointed at Kai Leng even as the assassin casually lowered his and walked to his right to keep the distance._ Come on, separate a little further_... Miranda was bleeding, a cut above her collar bone sending a trickle of red blood down the front of her white suit even as her pale face was smudged by filth and sporting a burn over her right eyebrow. She was breathing heavily, but there was a calm in her eyes as she kept her gaze firmly fixed on Kai Leng while continuing her circling. "I'm sure he was very impressed with my marksmanship when shooting him...and I'm sure the Illusive Man is impressed with the way I've sabotaged this little lab of his."

_Come on, take a step backwards_..._damn, should have brought Garrus_! A small smirk appeared on Kai Leng's lips. "It's of no consequence, your father did what he was supposed to do, the Illusive Man now has everything he needs, I'm just here to clean up the mess you've made. Really, sabotaging the internal security measures and getting so many civilians killed? And here I'd heard you at least had _some_ morals."

"Better they get a _chance_ at escaping than being slowly consumed by your experiments." Miranda snapped back. "Out there, they have a chance, in this base they don't."

Kai Leng chuckled at that, a dry sound accompanied by a shake of his head. "And here I thought you were more reasonable than that! We're trying to stop the Reapers and you go and take some kind of moral high ground? Shepard must have been a bad influence on you..."

"From your point of view, maybe." Miranda snorted, her back now facing Michael and his team as she faced the ever smirking Kai Leng. "So what now? After you kill me you go back to your master in the Anadius system?"

Michael's eyes widened. _That's where he is_!? _Wait, why did she say it like that_...?

Before him, Kai Leng's smirk widened into a grin. "Why yes, I've already forwarded him some _important_ data, but I like to retrieve my reward in person." Then, the man raised his head, looking past Miranda, up to the dark surrounding Michael and his team, his grin never fading. "And now that you've gotten to inform our sneaky Spectre about his location, I think its time for me to stop playing with my food."

_No_! Michael took his chances and fired, but with Miranda blocking most of the view only two shots struck Kai Leng's shields before the assassin closed the distance upon his opponent. His blade held in reverse behind his back flashed forward in a wide arc as Miranda lunged forward, thrusting her sword at him. Even as she moved though, she was crying out instructions. "Shepard! Check my suit! I have a data disc with-!" _No_! A clang of steel hitting steel, and Kai Leng's sword knocked Miranda's aside before his own punched through her chest and burst out her back._ You bastard_!

Roaring, Michael broke cover.

"Michael! Don't!" Liara cried, but the words fell to deaf ears as Michael ran forward, eyes fixed on Kai Leng as the assassin smirked at him and kicked the dead woman off his blade. His Revenant spat vengeance, but Kai Leng leapt to the side, the close-ranged bullets instead tearing through two Centurions as the man ran for the door on the left.

Around him, Cerberus soldiers leapt for cover, their shots whizzing past him as he charged through them like an enraged bull. A phantom stood in his way, and he simply crashed into her before she could swing, crushing her underfoot as he pursued the man now leaping through the opening doors ahead and into the darkness beyond. "Take care of the troops! I'll handle Kai Leng!"

"Michael, _no_!" Tali's shriek almost made him pause, _almost_.

Then he was through the door, a door slamming shut behind him as he slammed the controller...and he stopped, allowing himself to end the façade of rage he'd maintained during his charge.

Ahead, the room was pitch black, though Michael could sense it was almost as large as the lab he'd come from, if less cluttered.

_Good_.

Turning slightly, Michael took aim and fired a single shot, destroying the controls to the door and making sure any attempts to reach him would take some time.

Then, he threw the weapon aside.

Ahead, a slight tapping sound reached Michael's ears, followed by Kai Leng's voice, tone curious. "And what are you doing...?"

_Today, I'm ending you_. Michael didn't answer at first, but when he did, his voice was calm, collected, _dark_. "You're too cowardly to face me without a great advantage, so I'm discarding my weapons, since you don't have enough time to disarm me with my team hurrying to catch up."

At first, silence met him, telling him he'd struck a nerve, but to his credit Kai Leng's voice was calm when he spoke back. "Ah, would you care to indulge me in your reasoning?"

Michael drew his pistol, the Eagle light in his hands...and it barely made a sound as it too was discarded. "As I said, you're a coward, but you're also _arrogant. Y_ou want to be the one to kill me...so I'm giving you a third chance to do just that, and you've taken that bait. For my part, I don't want to give you even a _chance_ of escaping. Plus, I'm sensing you were about to warn the Illusive Man, no doubt via a Quantum entanglement device, and I can't risk that. After all, when I'm done with you, I'm coming for him and the data you sent him. Also, I _really_ want to kill you."

"Ah." Kai Leng replied, a smirk in his voice. "Thís plan, of course, means you have to kill me...and so far I've beaten you twice...not very smart, Shepard."

"Wrong." Michael countered, reaching up to his bandoleer and pulling free an incendiary grenade. "You fled the second time." He threw it to the right, the explosion sending red flames flying, illuminating the room. "You're all out of tricks."

The room was indeed spacious, and empty of furniture except two rows of large computers a few feet from each wall on the left and right, making for a large open space in the middle as well as two smaller areas on each side. Ahead, Michael could now see Kai Leng, the assassin with his blade drawn and back against a door on his side of the room, the man glancing from Michael to the roaring fire on his left, tone suddenly hesitant. "Those containers are full of flammable liquids..."

Michael didn't even glance at what he was talking of, his gaze fixed on the man ahead as he began marching forward, fists to his sides as he activated his omni-tool, making an omni-blade shoot out from each fist.

Kai Leng turned his gaze from the fire to Michael, hesitating as he met the Spectre's eyes...and then he smirked, his own omni-tool glowing...and a crackle of white light exploded from it along with the stench of ozone as it was deactivated along with Michael's omni-blades. Kai Leng's voice was cool as he spoke."What was that about me being out of tricks?"

Michael didn't reply, nor stop, he simply crouched low mid-step, drawing the serrated knife in his boot, eyes never leaving his target as he continued his advance.

Again, Kai Leng hesitated, then he bared his lips in a snarl. "Fine, then die!" In a flash, he was charging forward, blade a flash of light on Michael's right as it swung for head.

Michael's right hand moved automatically, his knife blocking the swing of his foe mere inches from his neck, looking down at it, his eyes narrowed at the sight of not only Miranda's blood on it, but something green and sticky. _Poison_. "Ah, more tricks, I guess you can't win without them." He didn't recognise his own voice, it was cold, hard, emotionless. In front of him, Kai Leng grunted as Michael's free hand shot out and crashed into his solar plexus.

Then the assassin leapt back, free hand clutching his chest as the other pointed his blade at Michael."I use anything I can for an edge! You would do the same if you had the same dedication to the cause! But you don't, you're an alien-lover, _weak_!"

"Spouting mindless propaganda won't help you now." Michael coldly replied, feeling his anger simmer deep within him as he once more advanced on Kai Leng. At the last instance he broke into a charge, left first smashing aside Kai Leng's thrust as he swung his knife at the man's face. Kai Leng ducked under the swing with a snort...only to gasp and fly backwards as Michael's right knee crashed into his chest. "Though I suppose a Cerberus dog is all bark and no bite."

Rolling into a crouch, Kai Leng raised his blade in a defensive posture, his chest heaving with his breathing as he stared back at Michael. With his eyes concealed it was hard to tell...but Michael could feel the first strands of fear sneak into the assassin's mind. "You say that now...but just you wait...you won't survive this!" Then, a small gush of fire from the right made him flinch, his gaze darting from Michael to the raging fire._ As I said, coward_.

Michael slowly advanced, gaze fixed on the man he above all others wanted dead. "Show me then."

A roar, and Kai Leng charged forward, his overhand slash meeting Michael's gauntlet before the assassin leapt back and thrust towards the Spectre's head with his sword, just barely scratching the visor of the man's helmet with the tip. Michael advanced, crouching low as he ducked under Kai Leng's swing...only for his own thrust to miss as the assassin leapt to the right, putting Michael between himself and the raging fire. "Ha! And you think you can beat me!?"

"I know it." Michael calmly replied, straightening as he faced his opponent, the intensity of the fire behind him growing with every passing second, making his skin prickle.

"Fool!" Charging, then leaping high, Kai Leng came at Michael with a high swing, only for his foot to strike the Spectre first, sending him crashing back into the line of computers behind him, stopping him short of the searing heat behind them. Nimbly landing in a crouch, Kai Leng's movements were smooth as water as he lunged forward, sword thrusting forward as Michael moved to block.

A small twist of Kai Leng's wrist changed the target though, and Michael grunted as the sword struck his wrist, sending his knife out of his hand before with a clatter it landed in the centre of the room.

Pulling back for but a moment, Kai Leng's face split into a grin. "How did you even _think_ you could beat me?" He lunged forward once more, blade a blur as it hurtled for Michael's chest.

A growl, and Michael's hands slammed together, catching the blade between them. Kai Leng grunted in surprise, both hands gripping the handle as he pushed forward...but Michael didn't resist, instead he twisted his wrists, the exoskeleton of his armour enhancing the power of the movement a hundred fold.

The sword broke in two.

Twisting the blade in his hands around as Kai Leng came stumbling forward, Michael watched the man's mouth open in shock as he ducked under Michael's thrust, then grunt as Michael's knee knocked the remains of the sword out of his hands. Growling, Michael slashed down with the broken blade in his hands, only for Kai Leng to drop onto his back to escape the attack, his foot shooting up to kick the poisoned blade out of Michael's hands before the assassin nimbly rolled back towards the centre of the room, hand finding Michael's knife.

Michael didn't leap for either of the two pieces of the sword though, instead he charged at Kai Leng, sensing the assassin's nervousness and intent on exploiting it. His swinging foot made Kai Leng duck and lunge forward, only for his thrust to fail to connect as Michael caught the man by the wrist, his voice a low growl in Kai Leng's face. "You killed Thane." His head shot forward, helmet crashing into Kai Leng's face with a wet crunch, making the assassin howl as he wrenched himself free and stumbled backwards.

Advancing without pause, Michael batted aside Kai Leng's blind kick before his own struck the man in the thigh, sending him staggering back and into the line of computers on his side of the room. "You killed Javik." His foot came down upon the assassin, who with a gasp rolled to the right as Michael's armoured boot smashed deep into the computer it struck. "You killed Kaidan."

Pulling his foot free, Michael's hands moved to block Kai Leng's hurried slash, his arms crossed over his head as the assassin did the same in an effort to push his blade downwards. Michael's face was but inches from Kai Leng's...and he could now feel the fear take hold as he coldly looked into the man's synthetic eyes, his tone calm and collected. "You killed Samara."

A grunt, and Michael pushed his opponent backwards, and as the assassin tried to regain his posture, he smashed his left into the man's chest, driving the air out of his lungs. "You killed Miranda." His left foot came down even as his right shot up for a murderous kick at Kai Leng's head...and the assassin caught it with his free hand.

"So what!?" Roaring in anger, Kai Leng moved to his left and forward as he released Michael's leg, his left hand shooting forward in a quick jab at Michael's face.

_Pain_!

Gasping as much in surprise as in agony, Michael found his back pressed into a computer as Kai Leng pressed down on him, the assassin having used the jab to hide his thrust at Michael's chest. Looking down, Michael felt oddly absent as he saw blood well up from his chest where the knife, buried to the hilt, was twisted around by the assassin pressing up against him. Grunting, Michael's hands moved up, gripping Kai Leng's hand and the knife, pushing it outwards...only for the assassin to put his free hand down on the blade, pushing it back down with a gleeful grin. "You really thought you had me, didn't you!?"

Looking up, Michael found Kai Leng's lips spread in a mad snarl of anger and blood lust. Behind the assassin, the fire from Michael's grenade had spread, turning into a burning inferno as one of the many cylinders attached to the wall burst, making the fire consume the line of computers on that side of the room.

It was like looking into hell.

And Kai Leng was the devil.

"You _never_ had a chance!" There was madness in the man's voice, pride and an inhuman rage boiling to the surface as what remained of his cool burst like a dam. "You pathetic fool! You've failed!" Michael stared at the man even as agony shot through him as the assassin twisted the blade, his spittle striking Michael's face. "Did you _really_ think your dead friends would drive you to fight better!? To magically make you able to defeat me!?"

"N-no..." Michael gasped, his left hand releasing its grip on the knife before it moved downwards, searching while he held Kai Leng's gaze. "B-but it me-means...if I c-can't beat y-you..." Then he found what he was looking for, pulled it free, primed it. "...th-that I'm wi-willing to t-take you w-with me..." With a clack, the frag grenade fell to the floor between their feet.

"Wha...?" Kai Leng looked down...and his mouth widened in horror at the sight as he suddenly pulled back, trying to throw himself out of the way.

_No_. Michael's free hand moved, gripping Kai Leng's shoulder, stopping his retreat even as his foot brushed the grenade, making it roll but a few feet forward. Kai Leng looked back up at him in horror, desperately trying to pull free even as Michael smirked at him. "Shall we call it a draw?"

_Pain_!

In front of him, he caught a brief flash of Kai Leng's face splitting in two as the explosion tore through the assassin. Then his vision was filled with white light, followed by seeing his limbs stretch forward as he was hurled backwards before crashing into the wall behind him.

For a moment, white light filled his vision.

_Pain_!

Groaning, Michael managed to open his eyes, though his vision was clouded by sticky blood, his own and the assassin's. Ahead, the fire raged, bellowing forward as more cylinders burst, hurling their content out in great fireballs and making it spread with the speed of an avalanche as it consumed the room, the heat radiating from it unbearable even _before_ it reached Michael.

And then it did.

_Pain_!

Writhing in agony, Michael cried out, vision swimming as whiteness and darkness coiled around him like living entities, strangling his cries as his entire being boiled and burnt within the fires of hell itself.

A cry reached him, distant, horrified.

And darkness took him.

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being such a diligent zombie._


	56. Chapter 56

A murmur.

Distant.

Soft.

Welcoming.

His nose itching.

_Huh, not dead, why am I not surprised_?

_You haven't finished yet_.

_Yeah, yeah_.

Slowly, he spread his senses, trying to gain his bearings as his body limply lay on its back. _Arms and legs intact_..._everything seems to be where it should be_. The bed he lay on was somewhat hard, the material of the blanket covering him papery in texture, something heavier lying on his stomach. Also, the room felt...cold, sterile, yet if he strained his ears, he could hear a faint hum from beneath. _Normandy, Med-Bay_..._home_.

Now, the murmur was growing more distinct, his mind settling back into his body from his no doubt drug-induced sleep and trying to make sense of what was happening around him. "Yes, it's an amazing recovery, but I don't think it's wise to wake him up yet, I'm sorry."_ Chakwas, still concerned for your patients, I see_.

"I don't need him running around today, but I _do_ need to talk to him, Doctor." Was the terse reply, making Michael smile. _Garrus, are you taking over as leader while I sleep_?

Sensing the conflict about to occur, Michael forced his heavy eyelids open...and blinked in surprise at the first thing he saw. _T-Tali_?

The Quarian was sitting on a chair to his left, her head lying against the edge of the bed and her hand resting on his stomach as he watched her torso move with breaths far deeper than any human were capable of as she slept. _Wh-what are you doing here_...? Confused, nervous, Michael tried to lift his left hand, to stroke her visor, but the arm was too heavy, his fingers merely twitching at his effort. His mouth worked though, his lips tingling as he felt the exhaled air from his lungs touch every ridge within his parched throat. "_T-Tali_...?"

The sound triggered movement at the edge of his vision, forcing his gaze up, making him locate a surprised looking Chakwas and a grinning Garrus staring at him from across the room. The former was the first to react though, the frowning woman quickly pulling something from a table and marching over to him, her tone low and annoyed. "Of course you wake up from enough medicines to keep a Krogan sleeping for the proper time. Really, Commander, sometimes I despair with your body's inability to act like it should."

"My apologies." Michael managed to whisper, his throat as dry as a desert as he found Chakwas pulling his head up before she offered him a glass of water, an offer he eagerly accepted. It was cool, with a minty quality that probably meant some kind of medicine...and Michael closed his eyes as he relished the way it soothed his burning throat. "Thanks, Doctor, you'd make a great nurse."

Chakwas smiled at that, gently putting his head back down before giving his cheek a quick swat. "In your dreams, Commander." Crossing her arms in front of her chest she straightened and gave him a friendly if somewhat stern look. "I suppose it's going to gladden you that you've only been out for two days and that you're almost fully healed?"

"Almost...what?" Michael kept his voice low, glad of the way his throat suddenly felt better, but not willing to strain it, nor to wake up the Quarian he couldn't quite believe was sleeping next to him. "That doesn't seem..."

"Possible, no." Chakwas replied, frowning as she bit her lower lip. "Scans are showing your implants have worked overtime, we haven't had to remove half as much metal out of you as I'd expected from what seems to have been a grenade exploding right in front of you." She shrugged, looking frustrated and puzzled. "At least we got to treat the extensive burns...though you _have_ broken the record for quickest acceptance of a skin-graft...I'm sure you're very proud."

"It's...helpful, at least." Michael replied with a strained smile._ My implants are working overtime_?_ I_..._don't like the thought of that_... Feeling guilty, he shot the sleeping Tali a glance. "So...I'll be up in no time?"

"As soon as the medicines get out of your system..." Chakwas sighed, frowning down at him. "...which seems to be far earlier than they should." A shake of her head and she turned away and waved Garrus forth as she walked towards the door, voice a low mutter. "Comes in looking like a corpse, turns normal in two days. I'm joining doctor Michel in her lunch...and a _drink_, clearly we're no longer needed...he's all yours, Vakarian."

As the door slid shut, Garrus took a step closer, taking Chakwas' spot as he looked down on Michael. "Hey, buddy, how you doing?"

"Erm..." Michael bit his lips. "...I can't move my limbs yet, but I'm good...my nose itches though."

A sigh that couldn't quite conceal Garrus' smile escaped the Turian, and his hand moved up, claw surprisingly gently scratching Michael's nose. "So will this be a thing we do every fourth year? Me touching this pudgy thing of yours?"

Michael smirked, a low chuckle escaping him as he breathed a sigh of relief. "Sure, I kind of like it. That claw of yours is great...don't tell Tali I told you that." He couldn't help but throw a nervous glance down at his own words. "Erm...and on that subject...?"

At first, Garrus didn't answer, the Turian looking down at the sleeping Quarian with gentle look in his eyes. "She hasn't left the Med-Bay since we got back." The Turian's eyes flashed in a grin as he looked back up to Michael. "You lucky son of a bitch."

"She...hasn't?" Michael blinked, confused, unsure...and with a warmth flooding his chest.

"Well, I don't blame her." Garrus turned his head aside and grimaced, shrugging. "You should have seen yourself when the others broke into the room. I saw the recording...pieces of bone stuck in you, all blood and...well damn, I saw your skin just...on fire and peeling off..." To Michael's surprise, Garrus visibly shuddered. "You looked more than dead, you were...burning...turning into a bloody skeleton before James got a blanket over you." Looking back to Michael, Garrus' browplate rose. "It's still...strange to see you back like you are now...damn, those are some implants, huh?"

"Yeah..." _Keeping me going_..._until the end_. Michael looked back down to Tali, grief gripping him as he tried to raise his hand to stroke her cowl, yet finding his arm still too heavy to lift. "...they're great."

Awkwardly grunting and shifting his feet, Garrus cleared his throat. "Sorry..."

"Don't worry about it buddy, nothing to worry about." Michael forced his gaze back to Garrus, smiling as best he could. "You look better, guess lounging back with that kid felt good?"

"Yeah...I still owe you for that order." The Turian shot him a predatory wink that drew a chuckle out of Michael. Then, Garrus glanced back down to Tali. "You want me to wake her...?"

For a moment, Michael hesitated, his heart aching for her to wake, to ease the worry he suspected she felt...but then he managed the smallest of shakes of his head. "No, you needed to speak to me? Business before pleasure, right?"

"That's _your_ rule." Garrus replied, a hint of teasing in his voice as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, then rolled his eyes in a surprisingly human gesture. "But very well...Liara checked Miranda's body..." Michael and Garrus grimaced as one. "...good work in ending that asshole by the way." For a moment, the two of them looked at one another, nodding as one as Michael sensed a drink to be had together once he was out of the Med-Bay. Then Garrus shrugged. "Anyway, Miranda carried a data disc on herself."

Michael's eyes brightened as he sensed good news. With him just awoken, he hadn't had time to think on Miranda's last words, and judging from the look on Garrus' face, there was more information on that data disc than she had managed to shout out. "And?"

"And we've struck gold, as you humans say." Garrus grinned, hand moving to the other, activating his omni-tool. "She wasn't just planning to sabotage Cerberus' efforts, she was planning to go for the _heart_." The omni-tool lit up, drawing up an orange hologram of a large cylinder with a rectangular structure sticking out from its centre, the details on it telling Michael what it was. "Behold, the Illusive Man's base."

_Finally_.

Michael's eyes widened at the sight as Garrus continued. "It comes with a detailed map of the interior." The hologram flashed again, making a dizzying number of yellow strings appear within the base. "Interior defences, garrisoned troops..." Within the base, along the yellow strings within the base, hundreds of red dots appeared, some in great clusters, others solitary or in pairs. "...outer defences..." Red shapes of turrets appeared all over the exterior base even as the shapes of three Alliance-styled cruisers hovered around it. "...oh, and an encryption key that identifies any ship transmitting it as a Cerberus vessel." Garrus let the complex hologram die with a predatory grin. "We've got our buddy by the throat and he doesn't even know it."

_Wow_,_ Miranda, you've thought of everything, as usual_. Michael smiled wistfully, leaning his head back onto the bed with a deep sigh as a great tension he hadn't even felt suddenly let go of him. "Okay...that's...man, that's great...wow..."

"You okay?" Garrus asked, sounding concerned.

"Yeah..." Michael blinked, feeling...surprised. "...I guess I'm just...confused by things going _our_ way for once..."

"You mean our way after you were nearly killed and Miranda dying?" Garrus asked, frowning.

"Well I didn't have to climb a bloody Reaper this time." Michael replied, managing a weak shrug as he felt the heaviness of his limbs slowly fade. "Of course, that base looks bigger than a Reaper, but I think we can do it."

"Well...sure." Garrus replied, frowning. "It's about as big as the Collector base, but I thought you didn't want any more suicide missions?"

"Who said we'd have one?" Michael replied, smiling. "Remember, people actually _listen_ to us now...we'll call Hackett." His smirk turned into a grin. "Time to bring down the fires of hell on the Illusive Man and end his insanity."

"Well, it's about time." Garrus grinned back. "Do I get to shoot him?" He watched Michael's face shift and sighed. "Right, you're going to hog all the kills, aren't you?"

His grim look turning into a smile, Michael shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a bloodthirsty son of a bitch."

"Tell me about it." Garrus grunted._ Huh, you look_..._peeved_. "You apparently didn't even trust me. Cortez or even the _Normandy_ to nail Kai Leng when he tried to escape."_ Yep, peeved_..._crap_. Sighing, Garrus leant closer, browplate low in a frown. "Really, you need to stop putting everything on _your_ shoulders, you're not the _only_ one fighting this war, and you _shouldn't_ throw yourself into every situation as if you're the only who can make a difference, and have to do it at any cost."

"Hey, I wasn't sure if-"

"What would have happened, had he killed you?" Garrus stopped Michael's protest short, leaning closer as he narrowed his eyes. "Hmmm? Who would open that Prothean data? Who would unify the galactic races and groups? Groups only barely holding on thanks to _your_ efforts? What will they do when you're gone? Will they keep fighting a unified front? Will they honour their word? The word they've given to _you_ and you _only_?"

Michael grimaced. "Come on, it's not like-"

"Oh, it _is_." Garrus growled, glaring down at Michael. "And you shouldn't-" Then, his mouth clicked shut, gaze darting down as a low mutter reached Michael's ears, making him look down too.

_Tali_.

The Quarian was slowly stirring, her three fingers digging into the blanket over Michael as her visored head rubbed against the edge of his bed. A surge of panic gripped Michael, uncertainty of what would happen holding him even as he looked up to Garrus...who met his gaze and stepped away. "I'll...talk to you later about this, okay?"

Michael opened his mouth to protest...

And Garrus jabbed a finger his way even as the Turian moved towards the door. "Later."

Before Michael could try to protest again, the door to the Med-Bay closed behind his friend, leaving him alone with the waking woman at his side.

"Michael...?" The mutter was half asleep, half awake, making Michael's gaze dart back down to the Quarian. Before his eyes, the woman began to stir, her head rising ever so slowly as twin slits of lights escaped the visor as she began to open her eyes.

Slowly, deliberately, Michael managed to pull his left hand out of the blanked it and place it on the suited hand on his stomach. _Right_.._calm down, low expectations, take things as they come_... He managed an uncertain smile. "Good morning, sleepy head..."

She turned her head, looking up at him, voice still a sleepy mutter, now tinted by disbelief. "_Michael_...?"

An awkward chuckle escaped him as Michael struggled to maintain his smile while his gut was rebelling in worry. "I think we're a bit past introductions, don't you?"

"Michael!"

Gasping, Michael found a pair of thin but surprisingly strong arms wrap themselves around his neck as the subtle weight of her torso pressed down on his chest, her helmet cold against the side of his head. _Wha_..? His mouth opened, but no words came, a vice around his heart as he managed to force his heavy arms up around her waist. _I_..._are_ _you_ _crying_? His arms twitched as he felt her shake, holding her closer on instinct, biting his lower lip as he closed his eyes, surprised with himself as he struggled not to cry himself.

"I..." The whisper was low in his ear, a furtive sound as the Quarian slowly stopped trembling. "...I saw you..." He grip tightened on him, making Michael grimace in pain. "I...I can't stop th-thinking..." He felt her taking deep breaths now, as if readying herself to leap off a cliff. "I...don't want to lose you again." Michael's heart stopped. "I can't...I can't endure that again...I just _can't_."

"I...I'm glad." Michael managed to croak, confused. He was glad, too much for words...yet at the same time there was a sinking dark pit in his stomach, one growing larger with every moment.

_She doesn't know_...

A warm tear moved down the side of his face.

Slowly, Tali pulled back enough to look at him...and as Michael opened his eyes, he saw her reach for her face.

Michael's eyes widened, hands coming up to stop her. "Don't, you shouldn't-"

Tali brushed his hands aside without a word, then pulled her visor off.

Her large green eyes looked down on him, her slit pupils wide and her pale cheeks covered in tears. Yet her small mouth was smiling, revealing the tiny and pointy teeth she once had been so self-conscious about. Now though, she barely paused for breath before diving down to kiss him, her teeth brushing his lower lip in her passion, her hands holding his face in a vice, refusing to let him go.

_God_...

Dizzy, overwhelmed, Michael's hands returned to her waist, holding on for dear life as he kissed her back, their tongues brushing for but a moment.

"Keelah..." Then, just as sudden as she'd started it, Tali pulled away from him, her lips trembling with a slight smirk, eyes shining, voice a low whisper. "...sorry, but I do what I want, love."

"L-love...?" Michael stuttered, grip tightening on the woman above him in disbelief, his throat thickening with emotions.

"Yeah..." Tali sighed, still smiling despite the hint of sadness in her eyes. "I...can't help it, damn you." She grimaced, hesitating. "We...we still have to work things out, I...can't just...well..." Her hands left his face, trailing down until they loosened his from her waist so she could hold them. Her smile was soft, gentle. "...but there's no choice, I think. It'll just have to take the time it takes...but we'll get through this, together."

_Pain_.

It physically hurt Michael as the words she spoke sunk in._ I have to tell her_.

_What's the point_? _Don't you want to stop things from being more complicated for once_? _Just to take the easy road_?

Michael grimaced. _No, this isn't up for debate_. "T-Tali...I..." His lips moved, but no words came, his tongue leaden in his mouth._ I've put this off for way too long_. "...I..."

Tali's smile froze, worry instantly filling her eyes. "Y-you don't want t-to-"

"Of course I do!" Michael quickly stopped her. "Don't be ridiculous!" The worry in Tali's eyes didn't abate though, it only got confused as she eyed him. _Tell her_! "I've...healed up, right? Very quickly?"

"Well...I don't know, I guess so." Tali replied, shrugging even as her worry lingered. "I'm no expert on human injury recovery time...and Chakwas said your implants helped, right?"

"And those implants are not something normal...they're..." Michael hesitated, agonizing over how to tell her as she stared at him with her big eyes.

Tali suddenly went still.

Her eyes widening.

"Th-they're...what?" Michael swallowed...and Tali didn't move a muscle as she stared at him. "They're...Reaper tech?" Michael blinked, the corner of his eyes stinging. _I'm sorry_. Tali's gaze was blank as she stared at him, voice dull. "A-and when the Crucible...?"

Michael looked back into her eyes, agonizing over the words that wouldn't leave his mouth.

Instead, he managed a small nod.

In reply, Tali punched him.

Blinking, Michael found his head twisted to the side and his jaw aching. _Damn_... "Tali, I..." He turned his head back to look at her...and caught a brief glimpse of her tearful eyes before her second punch once more forced his head to the side, this time making his vision swim. "I meant to-" His words were cut short by a sharp explosion of air out his mouth as Tali thumped her fist into his chest, then the second. "Tali, please..."

"It's not _fair_!" The cry was as much angry as it was desperate and grieving, and as Michael turned his head to look back, he found Tali with her head lowered and her eyes closed, her fists again and again – only without the same force – thumping against his chest in despair. "I know life has never been...but it's not _fair_!" She looked up, and her eyes were nearly squeezed shut in agony as she growled at him. "I can't believe you didn't tell me, _bosh'tet_!" Her hand shot out like lightning, slapping him.

"I'm sorry." Michael managed, the words pathetic even to his own ears. "I...I didn't know how to tell you, not with everything that...that happened. I...thought it for the best."

"For the _best_!?" Again, Tali's hand shot out, the slap making Michael's face burn as his ears rang with the force of the hit. "You figured there was no need to tell me and you'd, what, die and let someone else explain why!?" The back of her hand struck him hard, making Michael see stars. "I should just...I..._gaaaah_!" Growling out her frustration, the Quarian clenched her hands in front of her face as she stared at the floor.

Silence.

_Well at least she's not bashing my face anymore_...

"Tali, I..." Michael swallowed, hand moving up to the top of her head, pushing her cowl back and stroking her red quills as he struggled for words. "...I wasn't sure if..." Again, he swallowed. "...I understand if you want to leave it like this, I...I should never have tried to take you back when I knew what..." His throat was thick, painfully so, as if his body was trying to stop the words from coming. Yet they had to be said, his love for her demanded it. "...if you want you could leave, I...wouldn't want you to go through this again..."

A weary sigh, followed by a small chuckle, escaped Tali. "Yeah...that's not going to happen...I...I can't stop my feelings, and it doesn't matter where I'd go, it would still..." A shudder, and she lowered her hands, eyes soft as she looked down at him and leant into the hand on her quills. "...there is no choice to make, Michael, I'm yours." Michael winced in sympathy, but Tali simply smiled, leaning closer. "I...I guess I'll do it like Liara's told me the Asari do...take the time I can get, enjoy the time we still have." Then she hugged him, face boring into his chest as guilt gripped Michael. _Yes_..._Liara_...

_Tell her_.

Michael hesitated, his hands moving up to hold the Quarian...and then he smiled. _No, there's been enough pain, no more of that_. Instead he stroked her back. "Okay...if that's what you want, I'd love that." Then, he forced a little chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. "Besides, afterwards you'll always have Garrus, right? He's the perfect lady's man to forget your troubles with." Tali's hug tightened even as the Quarian awkwardly shuffled, obviously finding the joke in poor taste. "Heh, just messing with you, it would be a bit icky with you two practically being brother and sister."

"Yeah...exactly." Tali muttered back into his chest, holding him tight, making Michael arch a confused eyebrow. _Huh_...? "But...Keelah, you're useless at this, I don't want to hear any jokes right now, idiot..."

Michael smiled at that. "Okay." His hands slid up, one pushing into Tali's mane of quills as the other gripped her chin, raising her head until she was looking into his eyes. "I deeply, truly, love you, Tali'Zorah Vas Normandy..." With that, he pulled her down for a gentle kiss, then smiled up at her. "...and I'm never letting you go again."

"Oh..." Tali's pale cheeks flushed into dark purple. "...well..." Still blushing, her lips quirked into a coy smile. "...I guess that's a start."

Again, he pulled her down, simply holding her close as her breath tickled his neck.

_God, I needed this_...

He smiled, happy.

And then he chuckled.

"I can't believe you punched me."

Tali chuckled back. "You had it coming."

"Well...okay, true."

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being crazy in just the right way, and to all a good new year._


	57. Chapter 57

"Transmitting encryption key."

"That's great, now let's hope no Luke Skywalker is here and no Darth Vader is over there." Joker replied to EDI's cool words, making the AI shoot him a smirk...and the man smirked back. "Ohhh...and I drive the ship, that makes me Han Solo and you Leia, right? You think we could get you a golden bikini?"

"I believe so, yes. But I'll only wear it if you slay a Reaper for me." The AI chuckled back.

"Right..." Michael replied, catching himself grinning. He'd been in a good mood for days now, all due to Tali, and Joker was just adding to it now as they prepared their attack. "...is it worth it, Joker? I mean you'll take it off her within seconds anyway."

Behind Michael, Garrus snickered even as the pilot himself turned crimson, voice terse. "EDI..."

"Yes, Jeff?"

"We'll have to talk about what's okay to say..."

"I thought you _liked_ it when I talked-"

"EDI!"

Snickering, Michael glanced back, gaze flicking over Tali at the back of the cockpit, making the Quarian blush under her visor as she turned her head away. _Thank you_... There really wasn't anything else he could think, he knew he didn't deserve Tali's love and her taking him back, fully knowing it would just hurt her even more when the end came...yet he couldn't say no to it, he just _couldn't_.

It was like being reborn.

The Normandy had always been his home, or so it felt by now, his subordinates his friends, as such having one as his lover shouldn't logically make _too_ much of a difference.

Yet their love wasn't logical.

It was bitter-sweet, the minutes slowly ticking down.

It was painful, words and actions that couldn't be taken back like needles in their flesh.

It was passionate, every free moment they'd had since the Med-Bay spent together, drowning in each other.

It was desperate, every moment of them immersing themselves into each other, a struggle not to look their reality and future in the eye.

Yet for Michael, it was something else too.

It was _hope_.

Hope for a future beyond the war.

Hope for him spending his last days _happy_.

Hope for him to die content.

Hope for redemption, for an end of his self-loathing.

It was such a tiny hope, a flickering flame before a gale...yet it was _there_, and Michael nursed it with all that his weary soul could manage.

The mere thought of it put a smile on his face, making new energy course through limbs that had far too long stayed leaden and mechanical. It soothed his anger, calming as well as exciting him as he felt something _but_ hatred and pain for the first time in what felt like _centuries_.

It breathed _life_ into him.

"Come now, Joker, let EDI tell us _aaall_ about what you like..." Michael smirked as he spoke, eyeing the furiously blushing pilot. "...I'm sure everyone is _dying_ to know."

All was not well though. Michael felt sadness as he sensed Liara at his back. The Asari was so distant now...friendly, yet not...a chasm that could never be bridged now between them.

Garrus was eyeing him sternly as well, the Turian having his arms crossed over his chest. The Turian had indeed made good on his promise and lectured Michael on the importance of delegation and trusting his team...and though Michael had listened and agreed, he still felt a stab of guilt thinking of his friend having to _tell_ him something as basic like that. He was also somewhat confused by the way the Turian was avoiding being near Michael when he was hanging out with Tali, not quite sure what to make of that. _Maybe he simply doesn't want to disturb_..._yeah, that might be it_..._right_?

Michael shot aside the distrustful undertone of that thought, realising how paranoid it sounded...and watched in the reflection of the cockpit's windshield how Tali shot Liara a quick glance. _I didn't tell her, and I don't think I should_..._but_..._I think she might suspect_..._or_ _at_ _least_ _worry_...

It didn't sit well with him. His friends, his _family_, wasn't like it once was...it was chipped, the lustre worn down not just by war but by the internal conflicts that had followed the pressure from without.

_Another thing the Reapers had damaged, another wrong to avenge_.

_Sure, but one thing at a time, besides_..._I'm tired of being angry_. Michael chided his irritated thought, his weary smile slowly turning genuine as he focused on something beyond the disturbing image in the windshield's reflection. _Let's enjoy our work like we once did_. "I think I can see the base..." It was a tiny dot, far away, black against the light of two stars in red and blue nearly merging together due to their closeness.

"No." EDI replied with a little smile. "That's an optical illusion, human eyes could not see it from this distance, but psychology says they often imagine what they expect before they could see it. However, I will put things on display for you." Instantly a yellow grid-network forming a box took form, the red Cerberus base in the far distance, the three Cerberus cruisers in the middle and their own blue symbol close to Michael, higher up in the box than the Cerberus cruisers as they flew 'higher' than the guarding ships.

"Sure, insult human eyes, will you..." Joker muttered even as the area between him and his 'copilot' lit up with a hologram.

"Well your eyes are kind of poor, half your aiming feels like intuition..." Garrus chimed in with a smirk. "Of course, it's unfair to expect omnivores like you to have as keen eyesight as a proper predator..."

"Fair enough." James grunted, the soldier marching into the cockpit and putting himself next to the Turian even as a grinning Michael viewed the hologram in front of him. "Of course, such keen vision comes at a cost...can you see my palm?"

_Good, good_..._wait, what's that_? "EDI, what are those things attached to the rectangular section of the Cerberus base?"

A sigh. "No, James, what are you...oww!" The Turian grunted in irritation as there was a clack of armour hitting scales...the fact that Michael actually _knew_ that sound making him smirk.

"Ha! Can't believe you fell for that...that's what kids do!" James chuckled, sounding smug.

"And you're the biggest of them all, I see." Garrus muttered back, still annoyed, but at least taking things in good spirit as Tali and Liara shared a little laugh at the two men's interaction. _Good old James, glad you're here to lighten the mood, the squad needs it_.

Turning his attention back ahead, Michael was just in time for EDI to reply. "Those would be four enemy frigates docked into the hangar-section of the base. My postulation is that they're ships coming back for reinforcement in troops and supplies." EDI replied, then shot Joker a glance. "Being docked, their shields are down and engines offline."

The pilot bared his teeth in a grin at that. "Please, let me strafe them when the time is right, Michael. You could make it my birthday present..."

"Sure, they're not part of the original plan, so given our team's objective, I think we could do a run before deploying the squad...in fact that might be better so the others don't have to worry about them." Michael replied with a grin of his own, imagining the carnage the Normandy could dish out on such soft targets. "Just keep damage to the base itself as a minimum, we don't want it venting atmosphere uncontrollably."

"Oh, please." Joker momentarily feigned a hurt look on his face before his grin returned. "I'm the Chakwas in space. I'll hit them so surgically the Alliance will be able to fix those ships up to fight for us in an hour, tops."

"Excellent, I'm all for getting more ships." Michael chuckled, then forced himself to return to the serious issues. "EDI, how's the situation?"

"We are on schedule." The AI calmly replied, tone so emotionless it might as well have been a VI's as she focused her mind on the job ahead. "The three Cerberus cruisers are still targeting us, but not moving for any optimal firing angle. They have stopped actively scanning us since our transmission of the Cerberus transcription key and are not showing any signs of detecting our escort via thermal sensors, and optical sensors should be unable to detect them for an additional two minutes."

"They won't detect the other ships, come on." Joker drawled. "We're like the damn sun, how will they see a cloaked candle behind it?"

Michael nodded, gleefully agreeing.

The nine ships behind them were smaller frigates than the Normandy. They were pointed at the front and smooth-looking vessels reminding Michael of flying seeds, their small wings and the slightly tipped back holding a line of thin engines.

It was well known among Citadel militaries that the Salarians had been curious about the Alliance and Turian developed stealth drive of the Normandy, and Michael had not at all been surprised that they had managed to design their own version before the war had begun...the Normandy was no longer state of the art.

Nine ships arriving all at once would have been suspicious though, even if they all had transmitted the encryption key. As such the Normandy now lead the pack of cloaked frigates. Whatever little heat they might emit was hidden by the Normandy's own as they had faked a weapon malfunction while at the edge of Cerberus sensors. The ship was currently glowing to any heat sensor as it dispensed the 'accidental' build-up. _Speaking of which_... "And how's our heat dispersal? I don't want us running hot when we engage."

EDI shot him a polite smile. "As I said, we're on schedule."

"That's her way of saying 'stop being a back seat driver', just so you know." Joker chuckled, eyes straight ahead as his fingers twitched. _Damn, eager to engage, are we_?

"Uh...not to be negative..." James grunted, sounding worried. "...but won't they see that our ship's the Normandy? I mean...it's painted on the hull."

"Optical scans detailed enough to make out our designation will not be possible until long after those scans would detect the ships at our aft." EDI calmly replied. "Situation is optimal and we're on schedule."

"That would be 'we have things under control, so stop being a back seat driver before I empty the ship of oxygen'." Joker noted with a grin.

In reply, EDI shot him an amazingly dazzling smile, sounding genuinely glad. "You always know what I'm thinking, Han. I love you." Joker shot her a grin back, making Michael roll his eyes. _Dear lord_...

James on the other hand took a step backwards, his eyes widening as the words sunk in. "Uh..."

EDI turned to face the marine, smiling as she opened her mouth...but Joker was faster, voice deadpan and eyes straight ahead. "That was a joke."

Throughout the cockpit, a pleasant chuckle spread through the group.

Then, EDI stopped the sound with two words. "Thirty seconds."

Leaning his hands on Joker's seat, Michael stared ahead. He _could_ see three moving dots now, though distant, he knew they had to be very close in galactic terms. Behind him, Liara's voice was a worried murmur. "I sure hope _Hackett's_ on schedule."

"He will be." Michael automatically replied. "I can feel it in my bones."

"I agree." Garrus rumbled, tone terse. "He wouldn't want to miss this for all the credits on Illium..."

"Ten seconds until definite detection." EDI droned. At her side, Joker leaned forward in his seat, hands hovering over the controls like an athlete would tense before his run. "Eight, seven, six, five...enemy ships moving!"

"Gun it!" Michael cried even though Joker's hands were already moving, the pilot seemingly having _known_ it would happen before EDI had said anything. _Instinct, got to love it_. With all the inertial dampeners on the ship they couldn't feel it, but the ship _was_ lurching forward. _Thank goodness for mag-boots though. Without artificial gravity on, I'd hate to be slammed into the back wall_... Behind them, the nine other ships moved just a fraction of a second later to keep up, proving their pilots were no sluggards.

On the hologram, their blue symbol split into ten as they broke into a more open formation, their ships flying forward up high on the three-dimensional map, the three Cerberus cruisers between them and their goal turning upwards to bring their main guns to bear. EDI's voice was now cool, but not that of a droning VI, but of a professional soldier, her emotions held in check as she focused on her job. "Registering activity in the Cerberus base, hangars opening. Expect light fighter resistance during the first strike."

"Just as expected." Joker grunted. "Forward tactical data to the wing and confirm their approach vectors."

"All ships on course. Warning, enemy cruisers have a shot, weapons firing."

"Already!?" Joker grunted, sounding genuinely surprised, then shook his head. "Of course, silly me, of course Cerberus builds high quality ships. Evasive manoeuvres."

Ahead of them, the stars seemed to dance and spin, making James grunt something under his breath.

"What was that? The marine can't handle a few casual manoeuvres?" Joker teased, though his concentrated frown fixed on his instruments said it was anything _but_ casual. "Oh for...missiles, at this range!? That's just sloppy...EDI?"

"Gardian lasers dealing with them, Jeff." Was the calm reply. "Enemy fighters are being launched from their hangars in pairs and massing around the base. Expect sixteen during point of engagement. Cerberus cruisers turning to engage. They have temporarily lost their shot though."

It was true, on the hologram their ten ships – none had been lost during the brief hostile firing of the enemy – had flown over the turning Cerberus cruisers and were rapidly approaching their target as the red dots of Cerberus fighters buzzed around it like hornets around their nest. Behind the blue dots, the Cerberus Cruisers were like whales, but though they were slowly turning, they were now clearly in pursuit, and with _speed_. "Damn, they'll line up a shot at any moment now..." Joker grunted, sounding tense. "Ready counter-measures."

Then, more dots entered the hologram, several blue ones from where Michael's group had started from a few minutes ago. And in the cockpit, their radio crackled into life as, across all channels, a grim and foreboding voice spoke. "This is Admiral Hackett of the SSV Everest, Commander of the Alliance fleet and the unified galactic military. To all Cerberus vessels and personnel, surrender now or I'll bring down the might of the galaxy upon you and grind you into dust. Surrender yourselves and you'll be shown mercy. If not, may God have mercy on your souls." A pause. "This will be my first and only offer."

For a moment, all was still, everyone in the cockpit waiting as their dot approached the Cerberus base while the Cerberus cruisers held their course.

Then, the Cerberus Cruisers began to turn back, to face the new threat, their ships making no transmission as their heat-signatures expanded as they gunned their manoeuvring-thrusters to draw a bead on the larger threat.

Again, the radio crackled, and Hackett's voice sombrely spoke a single sentence. "So be it."

"Enemy fighters moving to intercept, all Gardian defences ready." EDI spoke, drawing Michael's attention back to the windshield as he could now distinctly make out the silhouette of the base in great detail. "Incoming mass accelerator fire, light."

"Ah, guess not even Cerberus couldn't afford Thanix cannons for their snub-fighters huh?" Joker growled, the base in front of them spinning as the Normandy evaded a streak of white lights. "And that was a few missiles...it has to be _drones_ flying those things." His frown deepened. "Right, that's a heat-spike on one of their docked frigates, it's trying to power shields and take off...sorry Michael."

"Wha-" Michael didn't get to ask the question as a beam of blue light shot out from their vessel, the target a minuscule dot on the base, a fly on the back of a massive animal...and then nothing but an orange blot as the Thanix Cannon annihilated the vessel. "Hey, you said we could have those!" Michael couldn't help but exclaim, then blush as a few titters behind him told him how childish he sounded. "Erm...I mean...was that necessary?"

"I'm not taking chances with a possible Normandy-strong ship, sorry." Joker shot back, gaze intense as he stared straight ahead. "I'll get the others though, time to break formation."

Ahead, the Salarian frigates were also splitting up, their Gardian lasers cutting a path through the few fighters Cerberus had managed to throw out before the surprise-assault had reached them, as they moved to discharge their cargo at their given targets.

Michael caught a glimpse of one ship banking up along the length of rectangle of the Cerberus base that held the many hangars...and then release an escape pod.

It was no ordinary pod though. These had initially been designed by pirates in the Terminus, but then refined by Turian engineers. Reinforced to the point it was more akin to a projectile than a pod, it was not only capable of punching through an enemy vessel's armour, but barb-like reinforcements along its sides would make it stick just at the surface, stopping it from punching into anything vital and disgorging the content into a an outer area. And thanks to a foam discharged on impact at the outside, the pod and the damaged area would be sealed into a cocoon, and would therefore still carry atmosphere and be pressurized; a boon as storming further areas wouldn't slowly empty the base of oxygen.

As Michael watched, the pod slammed into the Cerberus base in a puff of what seemed to be smoke, only for it to grow and expand around the impact before turning solid. Within a blink of an eye, all that showed of the impact was a white little bump blemishing the surface of the base. That'll be an interesting experience. "Okay team, into our own pod before Joker gets impatient." He shooed his squad towards the nearby escape pods. Only one had been turned into a boarding vessel, but it would be enough. "Joker, how's our status?" He couldn't help but turn, unable to follow his own order as his gaze darted between the view outside and the hologram.

Ahead, a silent explosion of yellow and red filled his vision as EDI shot down a Cerberus fighter with her Gardian system. The machine herself was moving past him to reach the escape pod, apparently not having the least bit of trouble with doing that while targeting the ship behind her. _I keep forgetting she's the Normandy too_... Michael shot her a smile, one she returned in kind before ducking into the corridor holding their escape pods. _Man, if someone had told me back when I was chasing Geth that I would be working with an AI_...

"Javelin missiles firing." Joker replied from his chair, a grin in his voice. "All three Cerberus frigates have had their engines minimally damaged, easy to fix...given a few hours." A chuckle. "As for the rest of the battle...well Hackett has nearly a hundred fighters and three frigates heading straight for a cruiser in no position to retaliate. Another cruiser is now...well..._gone_, they didn't kid when they said the Destiny Ascension had a good gun!" A low growl. "Third cruiser is in a duel with two Turian cruisers and our Salarian frigates are closing in to assist while our Asari dreadnought is turning to face it. All that's going to be a problem will be the Cerberus fighters growing in numbers and the base's turrets, but once the fleet close in it'll be over." He shot a brief glance backwards, teeth bared in a grin. "It's all up to you grunts now."

"And we don't like to disappoint." Michael grinned back and then turned, quickly jogging into the narrow corridor lined with pods and entering the first one where he headed straight for the last seat, hands automatically moving to strap himself in.

Next to him, Tali turned her head, and sensing the smile under her visor, Michael put his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. _Love_ _you_.

"Oh for...get a room!" James hooted, drawing a little chuckle out of Garrus and a polite smile out of Liara, making the human and Quarian grin. _God, I know we have_..._issues_, _all of us_..._but this is good_. "Now come on, I can't let Joker show me up!"

Through the radio above them, there was a chuckle. "Already have, James, every time I look in the mirror." Then his voice turned serious. "We're in position in five, four, three...releasing pod, give them hell."

A jolt of force, shooting through Michael's spine like he was falling free...and then a great stillness.

In the pod, everyone, silently, exchanged confused and worried looks.

_Did we miss the base_?

Then the pod violently shook, one of the straps in Michael's seat breaking, sending the buckle flying and ricochetting. In the pod something deep within groaned with the sound of strained metal.

Then, it went quiet again, the buckle falling off James, a James blinking away the dizziness from the blow to his helmet as the group just sat there, trying to overcome the sudden urge to throw up.

Silence.

Then Garrus groaned as he moved to pull himself free. "Cheap ass manufacturing..."

Michael grinned at the man as he followed suit. "I thought these were Turian-designed?"

"I stand by my statement."

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being the Speedy Gonzales of reading._


	58. Chapter 58

They were expecting them.

It was no surprise, the sound of their pod smashing into what was supposed to be a storage room for old experiments had to have resounded through the base, telling anyone nearby just where they'd forced their entrance.

As such, Michael had his team moving as fast as he'd dared, barely pausing to secure the first massive storage room before moving through a set of doors to the slightly smaller following it.

Both had mostly contained crates concealing whatever was inside them. The room they had entered first had also held Prothean tech though. Glass jars had been holding Prothean data discs, old computers, a few stone tables and even a few skeletons of what had to be dead Protheans...enough relics to make Liara's eyes widen to the point James had let a snicker escape him.

Then there had been the Reaper tech in the second room. Covered in softly humming energy fields. The articles ranged from massive pieces that had to be limbs of Sovereign to items no larger than a thumb. The sight of it all had made Michael order the team to stay to the central path leading to the next room, he seriously doubted Cerberus' ability to stave of the indoctrination field the Reaper tech transmitted with shields Liara noted was used for preservation of old artefacts.

It was when they'd entered the third room, that they finally faced opposition, however improvised it was.

Risking a quick glance out the open doorway, Michael pulled back as a few shots whizzed past his head. Through the radio, he quickly spoke. "Right, seems to be all manner of stuff in there, watch your shots, don't want to hit anything dangerous." Following his own order, Michael put his Revenant onto his back and switched to the Carnifex pistol he'd chosen as his side-arm. "Got two troopers right ahead behind a fallen crate, a Nemesis at eleven o'clock but further back and two workers with what I think are Predator pistols hunkering down behind a forklift on the far right. I'll get the smoke in, then we filter in and end them up close. James and Tali, you're on me on centre. Garrus, you're on left. Liara, you're on right with EDI. We go on my mark."

He paused, briefly catching everyone's eyes as they nodded.

Then the grenade was off his bandoleer and rolling into the room, the white cloud exploding from it thick and nauseating for anyone without a re-breather.

To the right in the other room, two men began to cough even as a flurry of shots tore through the white cloud as the soldiers and workers fired blindly into it._ Wait for it, wait for it_...

Then the firing stopped, some to reload, others in hesitation.

"Go!" Michael hissed the words through clenched teeth as he broke cover, leading the crouched charge.

A crack from a sniper rifle and Tali grunted in pain as her shields flashed, knocked out by the Nemesis' shot that, it's kinetic force spent, bounced off her breastplate. She didn't slow down though, moving on and inching behind Michael for cover as her shield recharged even as James too grunted, though only with irritation, as the assault rifle of one of the soldiers ahead peppered into his shields.

Then they were out of the smoke, Michael seeing the rightmost soldier moving to reload just as the one to the left appeared, his weapon reloaded and swinging about to get Michael in his sights.

Tali was faster though, the Quarian straightening and stretching her Arc pistol over Michael's head as she poured a stream of electrical bolts into the chest of the soldier. A muted gasp escaped him, more surprised than pained, as the bolts tore through his shields like a hot knife through butter before raking the body beneath with its stream of electricity. With his foe's shields gone and his aim spoiled by pain, Michael eagerly took the opportunity offered and lined up his Carnifex with his opponents.

The gun jerked in his hands...and the soldier's head exploded like a ripe melon, pieces of his helmet and skull clattering as it struck the floor as his body slumped forward and onto the crate he'd used as cover.

James was less subtle, the Marine jumping up on the crate even as the second soldier behind it brought his gun to bear...and then James stomped down on the weapon, pinning it atop the crate as he emptied the entire clip of his Carnifex into the chest of his foe, shots drilling through shields, armour and ribs in quick succession.

To the left, there was a crack of a Paladin firing, followed by the shriek of the Nemesis, then another shot, followed by the sound of a body hitting the floor.

To the right though, there was the sound of twin Predator shots...and then two bodies falling to the floor.

_No_! Spinning around in horror at the sound, Michael stared over at Liara and EDI...who looked perfectly fine, their faces frowning as they looked down on the two dead workers dressed in simple civilian gear. "You two okay?"

"Sure...they just saw us storm forward and then shot themselves." Liara grimaced. "Cerberus devotion is frightening to see."

"At least their eyes didn't explode this time." Michael replied as he straightened, patting the little cylinder on Tali's hip. "Always an improvement." With a smirk, he couldn't help but let his hand slide a little further past the cylinder, grip tightening and making Tali shoot him a glance full of heat and promise. _Damn, I'd forgotten what getting back together with your flame does to your hormones_... He shot her a smouldering look. "A _great_ improvement..."

"Right." Liara replied, the way she nearly snapped the word making Tali turn her head, cocking it to the side quizzically even as Michael swiftly pulled his hand off the Quarian's backside. _Dammit, remember yourself, fool_..._no need to hurt her further because you're too wrapped up in a good thing_. "Perhaps we should focus on our target? We _are_ in a war-zone, after all."

"True." Michael replied, forcing himself to slip back into professionalism as he knelt, hand going to his helmet as he checked he was on the Command frequency. "Garrus, James, guns on that entrance. The rest of you, this is the storage room closest to the exit and might be used more often, so the Prothean disc _might_ be here...I doubt it, but check as much as you can." With that, he turned his gaze down to the floor as he activated the radio. "This is Shepard to all teams, status report."

"Captain Riley here." Came the first reply, that of a female human Michael had only briefly met a few weeks ago. Still, she had held her own back then, so Michael hadn't been surprised that Hackett had offered her among the special forces troops for the attack. "Security checkpoint one taken, proceeding to main Armoury. Resistance has been light since the Security checkpoint."

"Shiala, reporting in." There was an explosion in the background of the Asari's voice. "Enemy resistance heavy but disorganized between secondary Armoury and Barrack five. A large contingent has been ambushed with heavy casualties and we are now finishing them off." _Damn, should have brought you with me on the Normandy_. Michael blinked, genuinely impressed.

"Jondum Bau here." The Spectre's voice was quick and efficient, which was no surprise given the amphibian race to which he belonged. "Securing Cerberus server rooms and offices. Got around enemy security forces and removed hostiles trying to delete their data. Now engaging security forces from within their defences. Our position currently unassailable."

"Sidonis, reporting." The rough voice made Michael frown even as he felt Garrus' smile. The former traitor had apparently redeemed himself since his deeds on Omega, becoming something of a hero among his kin as a dedicated soldier leading from the front. Michael could _appreciate_ that, even more so that the Turian obviously was ready to give his life to make up for his betrayal... but Michael would never like a man that had hurt his friend as Sidonis had. Still, he was doing his part, and Michael was intent on keeping it professional. "Hangar three cleared of hostiles, fighter launch pads destroyed and shuttles booby-trapped. My Armiger legionnaires are proceeding to Security checkpoint two, expecting heavy resistance."

"Bah, we're coming from the other side, we'll crush them!" Grunt's voice roared into the radio, the Krogan clearly enjoying himself as an explosion in the background was met with screams of agony from several human voices. "Oh, and Barrack two secure...what's _left_ of it. Aralakh company, move out! Let's show these Turians who can reach the checkpoint _first_!"

"You're on, Krogan." Sidonis growled, though it was a growl with humour in it. "Alright men, pick up the pace or shame your Legion!"

"Jacob, calling in." The strained voice of the human made Michael smile. He had been cajoling the man to get back into fighting since they'd met with a few select messages, and as the war had continued, the man had finally given in, forming a small squad of Cerberus defectors to aid the Alliance. Sure, they were viewed with suspicion, but they had slowly proven their mettle and attacking the very base of the Illusive Man would surely wash away their brand of shame. If they _survived_, that is. "The science lab was _crawling_ with Phantoms, we're performing a fighting retreat down corridor one-one-six-five."

Drawing up a holographic map within his helmet, Michael nodded to himself. "Shiala, finish off your targets and then move down corridor six-one-three-one, you should be able to intercept Jacob's team."

"Roger that." To his side, Michael heard Liara gasp.

_Focus, deal with that later_. "The rest of you, report."

"Sorry, was busy _fighting_." Came the annoyed growl. "Balak here, Barrack three full of enemy troops. Don't worry though, we've brought flame-throwers..." In the distance, an anguished scream, seemingly without end, shot through the radio. "For the Hegemony!"

_Well_..._at least he's fighting on our side_. Michael shrugged even as he sensed Tali move to join Liara...before she too gasped at whatever the Asari had found.

"Legion?"

"Apologies, commando platforms were observing radio silence due to approaching targets, targets now neutralized." Legion replied, the AI speaking calmly. "One platform destroyed but Drive Core secure, self-destruct sequence interrupted and all systems optimised, entrenching our position and deflecting any attempts to retake the Drive Core."

"Good." Michael nodded, annoyed with the whispering to his side. "And finally...Forzan?" A pause. "Lieutenant Forzan, reply."

Then, there was a crackle in his ear, the voice distant, but holding the distinct warbling quality of a female Quarian. "Forzan Vas Rannoch here, clearing interference. Cerberus engineering and forges still contested, enemy troops have just been heavily reinforced by mech forces."

Michael blinked, confounded by the amused tone of the Quarian marine. "I see, do you need assistance?"

"Are you _kidding_?" Was the cocky reply. "These mechs are _ours_ now...Quarian, remember? Got to love an enemy handing you a gun, right?"

"_Sure_..." Michael agreed, chuckling. _Quarian women are crazy_. He rose to his feet. "Right, continue with your given assignments. Jacob and Shiala's contingent will pursue their secondary objectives once they have regrouped. My team is still en-route to our objective. Observing radio silence from now on, Shepard out." Turning, he located and walked towards the two women, now joined by a – shockingly enough – wide-eyed EDI staring at something along one of the many shelves lining the store-room. "Right, what's going on here?"

As he walked, his gaze darted to the left, making him slow down as he stared at the things, a plethora of familiar sights.

A Thorian Creeper stood within a large tube, dark eyes seemingly dead as it stared straight ahead. Next to it, surprisingly similar in structure to the Creeper, a Husk clawed at its own tube, glowing eyes full of malice._ Trying to find a connection, how their control works_. Michael knew it when he saw them, for hadn't he seen it before?

Next to them, a dead Keeper covered in an energy field lay, its body visibly shrunken as it had been gutted and dissected. _Trying to find that signal for activating the Citadel_.

And next to it, a dead Rachni soldier lay, it too encased in an energy field, its claws still covered in dried blood. _An attempt to make obedient soldiers_..._I've seen all of this_...

A Geth, held up by straps limply hanging from a pole, its one eye dimly glowing, not dead, yet not alive. _A heretic, to find out how they saw Sovereign, how they came to serve_...

A broken piece of steel, so burnt Michael shouldn't recognise it, yet he did. _A piece of the Normandy, of my tomb_...

Shuddering, he hesitated, but then forced himself to go on, to _see_.

A plethora of metallic tubes tipped with steel spikes, the prison of pain they'd put David Archer in... and now the spikes were stained with a _fresh_ coat of blood. _I should have done more, I should have levelled that installation once I was done_...

The corpse of a Yagh, the creature on its back and en-capsuled in a glass jar, its mouth still open in a fearsome roar. _Another attempt at making slave soldiers, no doubt based on my findings about the strength of the Shadow Broker himself_...

Another glass jar, this one filled with three Collectors lying on their backs, their eyes dull, arms lying at their sides. _The base remains, and I thought the Illusive Man would help us_..._how much has it helped him in ruining our war against the Reapers_...?

Then he reached the women of his squad...and froze mid-step as he caught sight of what they were staring at.

_J-Jack_...?

It was her, her body held upright and pinned by a variety of straps within a glass case. The tattooed woman's skin looked...thinner, nearly transparent, revealing the muscles, bones and veins beneath. And at every major joint, she had been cut, her upper arm separated from her shoulder, that was separated from her forearm, that was severed from her _hand_, whose every _finger_ had been cut off. Each piece was pinned fast by the straps and connected by thin veins and exposed nerves, everything else having been severed. _It's like a macabre_.._map of the human body or something_..._or a puppet on strings_...

"Y-you said Kai Leng said..." Liara whispered the words, as if fearful of waking the body in front of them. "...they used her body to make Phantoms...didn't you?"

"Yeah..." Michael replied, unable to even glance at the Asari as he stared at the corpse in front of him. "...I didn't think that that meant...this isn't right."

"We should do something." Tali murmured, inching closer to Michael, arms wrapping around his right arm.

"Agreed...but what...?" Michael asked, grimacing as he took a step forward, staring at Jack's head. Her face was pale, the usual anger gone, replaced bya peaceful expression. The back of her head had been cleaned, the gore from her failed biotic amp gone, as well as large pieces of the back of her skull, baring a pink brain covered with several electrodes and needless hooked via cables into a dark block attached to the top of her case. "I...we should...maybe..."

That's when she opened her eyes.

"Holy-!" Michael found himself jumping back, the others doing the same. Even EDI took a step back, the machine's eyes wide.

Jack numbly stared back, mouth opening but no words coming as her lower lip trembled. Her eyes darted from one to the other before her, though her eyes made it seem as if she was simply looking right through them, unfocused.

"Is...is she alive?" Michael asked, moving to the left...and shuddering as Jack's glazed eyes followed his movement. "H-how...?"

"They brought _you_ back..." Liara muttered back. "...but this...this is different...this isn't..._life_...this is _torture_..."

"They possibly need her alive to map out her nerves to create the Phantoms." EDI replied. "I postulate-"

"It doesn't matter, EDI." Michael snapped, hands curling into fists. "This is just..." He embraced the anger in his chest._ No, Illusive Man, I'm not like you, I'm no sadist_..._I_..._I wouldn't do this if I knew it could_..._if it would_... "Dammit!" His fist struck his thigh in frustration. _I wouldn't_!

"Should we...should we get her out?" Tali asked, hesitant.

Michael grimaced, already sensing what would happen before Liara spoke. "She'd fall apart...plus, I think the only thing keeping her alive are those electrodes. _Michael_ was revived, this is just...mutilated flesh and a brain in a jar..._suffering_."

"Agreed." Michael spoke, voice numb as he drew his Carnifex and levelled it at Jack's face. The woman stared at him for a moment, then closed her eyes, her lips stopping their trembling. "I don't know if you can hear me...but the Illusive Man will die today..." Again, her lips trembled...and then twisted into a little smile. "...figured you'd like that."

He fired.

Lowering his head, he didn't look at what he'd done, what he'd _ended_, instead he turned away, Liara and Tali silently following close as he moved to join Garrus and James. "Let's get this over with."

_Today, this madness ends_.

8

8

8

They had won.

Behind them, Cerberus troops lay in droves, outmanoeuvred they had thrown themselves at Michael's team, knowing they couldn't win, yet doing it anyway, driven by mindless zeal.

In his radio, Michael powered down the radio to his helmet. Constantly there were reports of the other teams clearing out enemy positions, and now they were joined with more soldiers as Hackett's victorious ships docked to the base. Victory was now just a matter of time, of mopping up enemy resistance.

Michael hadn't reached his target though...not until now.

The many desks in the room the group was in were covered in blood as the women in suits that looked more like waitresses lay among them, clutching their guns even as they lay riddled with bullets. _His servants_. Michael paid the bodies no mind though, eyes fixed on the door ahead as he marched forward, his grim team at his back.

It was unlocked...and as Michael approached...it opened.

The group came to a stop, eyes narrowing at the sight.

The Illusive Man's office was dark, the black floor polished to a shine. Further off, the window showing the red and blue stars merging to the point that they looked like one was all too familiar, something Michael had seen again and again when they had worked together.

And at the centre, in his familiar chair, the Illusive Man sat, calmly looking back at them.

Michael looked back...and something within him calmed_. It's over_. "Wait here."

"What!?" It was a mix of Liara's, James' and Garrus' voice shouting out the protest. Tali looked at Michael, then the Illusive Man, and softly nodded, looking away. Garrus wasn't done though, clawed hand coming down on Michael's shoulder. "Hey, didn't I tell you about..."

Michael put a hand on the Turian's shoulder and looked back at his friend, offering a small smile. "Hey, trust me, wait here." Garrus' grip slackened at whatever he saw in Michael's eyes...and the Spectre gently pushed the clawed hand off his shoulder as he turned his gaze back to the Illusive Man. "I won't be long."

He marched forward, briefly touching Tali's back before entering the black room...and the door quietly slid shut behind him.

Marching half the way to the Illusive Man, Michael came to a stop and drew his pistol, letting it hang at his side as he glared down at the Illusive Man...a glare losing some of its strength as he saw the man in person.

The Illusive Man looked...smaller than before. Perhaps women would have found him handsome once, but now there were grooves in his skin, his cheeks hollowed, as if he hadn't eaten in months. The dark patches under his intense blue eyes only adding to the impression of a man falling apart. As to the glowing blue veins running down his neck and underneath his shirt...Michael felt a shiver of horror at the sight. _Reaper tech_.

The man didn't even glance at the weapon in Michael's hand, his glowing eyes still sharp as they held Michael's gaze. "Are you here to kill me, Shepard?"

"Yes." Michael replied, hesitating as he watched the Illusive Man's hand move...only to watch it grip a spoon to stir the drink on his armrest. _Why_..._so_ _calm_?

"But not before I reveal the location of the Prothean data disc..." The Illusive Man replied, looking down at his drink as he put the spoon aside and pulled it up for a sip before placing it back down. "...correct?"

"Correct." Michael echoed, narrowing his eyes, conflicted. His soldier's instinct was screaming at him that it had to be a trap, that he was in danger...yet something else held him back.

"Very well." Casually, the Illusive Man reached into a pocket of his suit and produced the disc, then casually dropped it to the floor and kicked it over to Michael. _What the_...? "And here's our translation of the data, I'm sure your Asari can verify its authenticity." He produced a simple data disc, dropped it to the floor as well and kicked it over to Michael. Looking back to Michael, he cocked his head to the side. "Of course, the interesting information is the location of the Catalyst? If you believe my word, it's the Citadel."

"What?" Michael glanced down at the discs at the floor before him...and then glared up at the Illusive Man and raised his pistol, bringing the man's face into his crosshair. "Explain."

Calmly, the Illusive Man took a sip from his glass, then looked back to Michael with a sigh. "Is it really so surprising? The Citadel is the centre of the Relay systems, the one thing the Reapers allow to endure across all cycles. Have you ever thought about it? How the Citadel is a large Relay capable of bringing the Reapers into our galaxy from Dark Space itself? Have you even tried imagining the _power_ required for that?" The man coldly smiled. "Plus, we've learnt that the Collector base is simply a smaller version of the Citadel. The Citadel is what the Reapers usually conquer first when they enter the galaxy. It's their back door _and_ a factory, the Keepers are their workers, building Reapers within the Citadel during each cycle. The Collector base is simply a smaller version of that factory, yet no where _near_ the ability of the Citadel." An arched eyebrow. "The power required for that...it's unimaginable...and we never suspected it could be used to power the Crucible...it's almost amusing."

Inwardly, Michael groaned at himself, but he kept his face cool, not about to show his frustration as he crouched down and picked up the two discs. "No, I mean explain, why are you telling me this?"

Again, the Illusive Man's hand moved to his pocket, this time producing a lighter and a cigar. "Why?" A click of the lighter, and the cigar was lit, the Illusive Man taking a brief puff from it. "Because I've lost." Another puff, this time longer, the man closing his eyes in pleasure for a moment as he brought the cigar down. "It's remarkable..._relaxing_..." Michael blinked, watching the Illusive Man actually _smile_. "...no more plans, no more gambits...I cannot win now."

"You're...giving up?" Michael asked, shocked.

"Am I supposed to try and fight you, Shepard? Yes, I've lost..." The Illusive Man's smile faded instantly, turning into a glare. "..._we've_ lost."

Michael glared back, steeling himself as he growled. "If you think I'm going to accept your notion that I'm indoctrinated when you-"

The Illusive Man raised his hand, silencing Michael before he reached down to take another sip from his glass. "It doesn't matter, maybe you are the indoctrinated one, maybe _I_ am...either way, we _have_ lost." A grimace of anguish crossed the man's features, of a feeling Michael didn't think him capable of..._guilt_. "Maybe you were right, maybe we _should_ have worked together from the start...now...now it's too late..."

With a sinking feeling in his gut, Michael had to speak. "What are you talking about...?"

The Illusive Man lowered his head.. "I...told the Reapers of the Citadel, how it's the Catalyst for our weapon..." He sighed. "They'll now attack it no matter the defences to take it back."

"You _what_!?" Michael took two quick steps forward, his finger closing around the trigger to his pistol.

The other man glared back up, unafraid. "Yes, I did that! I would by now be on it, in a hidden compartment! The Reapers would have brought me right to Earth to begin their work, you would have to attack and _I_ would be the one activating the Catalyst as _I_ saw fit!" Then, his anger faded, a weary chuckle escaping as he looked down at his lap. "But of course, _you_ figured out the location of my base, attacked...and I couldn't leave in time..."

"You're saying..." Michael swallowed.

"Right now, the Reapers are taking the Citadel with an unstoppable force." The Illusive Man replied with a weary shake of his head. "They'll take it to Earth, defend it with all they have as they make more Reapers out of our people...and we can't stop them now that it's out of our reach." He looked up, a tear running down his cheek as he looked into Michael's eyes. "We've destroyed the galaxy with our rivalry..."

_They have the Citadel, the Catalyst_... Michael felt all colour drain from his face as he lowered the gun, horror gripping him. _We can't activate the Crucible without it, and the Reapers will defend it with all they have_..._we_..._we can't_..._we can't win_...

_Bullshit_.

A growl escaped him as Michael shook his head, his old defiance making his heart pump with anger. "_No_, it's _not_ destroyed _yet_, and I'll be _damned_ if I let this be our final note." He glared down at the Illusive Man, now seeing a broken man. "We _will_ reach the Catalyst and we _will_ activate the Crucible. Anything else is _unacceptable_."

A pale smile creased the Illusive Man's features. "I could tell you the odds of such an attempt...and I still think your idea to try to destroy them is foolish and that of an indoctrinated man...but I don't think you _care_ about that, do you?"

Michael steadily looked back. "No."

"Well then...for what it's worth..." The Illusive Man raised his glass, holding Michael's gaze. "_If_ I'm wrong and _if_ you once more defeat the odds...good luck." With that, he put the glass to his mouth and drank down the rest of its contents with a relieved sigh. "Now..." He threw his cigar aside even as he put the glass back into its slot in his armrest. "...would you kindly end this? I do not wish to be around to see the end of humanity."

"It _won't_ end." Michael raised his pistol.

Behind the crosshair, the Illusive Man shot him a pale smile, voice incredulous. "I almost _believe_ you..." His smile turned genuine. "...you truly _are_ my finest accomplishment."

"Thank you." Michael dully replied...and squeezed the trigger.

A boom...and the Illusive Man's head flew back with the force of the shot before slumping forward, dark blood welling from a hole in the back of his head.

"And that was _Miranda's_ accomplishment, asshole." Michael growled, then turned and walked out, eyes grim.

_It's not over yet_...

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being the best bouncy ball you can have._


	59. Chapter 59

"Exiting Relay jump in ten."

It was tense in the cockpit, and rightly, so, if what the Illusive Man had told Michael was correct...well...

Garrus didn't like to think on it. He had friends in the Citadel fleet, old buddies back from his days in basic training, not to mention everyone he knew in C-Sec on the Citadel. Hell, that didn't even matter, he wouldn't wish a Reaper invasion on his worst enemy, the suffering...he'd seen enough of that on Palaven to know what would be coming to the Citadel.

_Or has already come_...

Garrus shot Michael a brief glance. Save the usual EDI and Joker, only Garrus and the Spectre were in the cockpit, waiting...

Michael had his arms crossed in front of his chest, legs apart and looking every bit like the grim commander, something he'd gotten down to a tee by now. He wasn't _acting_, he _was_. Not surprisingly, the man's gaze was fixed on the view outside, steel in his eyes. Yet it was more lively, _energized_, since...well since _Palaven_.

_Guess he really needs her_...

Garrus grimaced at the thought, shifting where he stood. After his little..._moment_, with Tali, he felt...awkward around the two. It hadn't even been much of a moment on Garrus' side, and he knew Tali had just looked for comfort, been vulnerable...and Garrus, seeing her as nothing as his sister, hadn't been too bothered by it...at first.

_I miss Kelly_.

That was the heart of it, and Garrus hated thinking about it. He could very well die in this war, he'd seen enough skilled soldiers die already...and unlike Michael there was no one for _him_ to take comfort in. _Guess I could always give in to Michel_...

Garrus shot the thought aside, the idea not in the least attractive. Michel looked too much like Kelly, _acted_ like Kelly...yet the difference was that she didn't know him, she idolized him, and the _last_ thing Garrus wanted was someone doing that. No, he didn't want someone looking like Kelly, human, he wanted someone down to earth, someone who could be his _friend_ as well as lover...

Again, he shot Michael a glance, noticing the gleam in the man's eye, knowing where it came from.

No, Garrus hadn't been bothered by Tali's awkward moment of affection...back then.

_Shit_. _Well_..._nothing to it, keep it at a distance, then it'll go away. Besides, I'm just lonely, that's all, it's not real affection, which means I should squash it like a Krogan would a Pyjak_. _All I need is some girl that I'm relaxed with and like and has spent a lot of time with_..._yes, there's lots of those_...

_Shit, if Michael found out_..._damn, I'd be dead_.

"Three, two..." EDI counted down, the only one in the cockpit seemingly at ease with the anticipation of what was ahead.

_Heh, maybe I should try chatting Liara up_? _At least there would be no complications or rivalries_.

"Incoming!" The shout made Garrus jump to attention and made him stare out the windshield in time to see the Normandy enter real space with a violent lurch to the left even before EDI's shout had fully finished.

A Reaper claw came down on them, making Garrus' eye widen in horror. _Ambush_! Then it slipped past them as the Normandy dodged sideways, the claw's other end was nothing but a tangle of wrecked armour. _Huh_...? With the imminent threat cleared, Garrus calmed enough to look further off...and his mandibles opened wide and his jaw dropped.

The claw had belonged to a Destroyer, and the rest of it was slowly spinning before them, its hull cracked open to the point that only the claws still attached to it made it recognisable as a Reaper ship. Clearly, the mines the Council had ordered out had done their work as Garrus spotted another wrecked Destroyer, intact but with its entire length covered in gaping holes and most of its outer plating torn off.

With the Normandy weaving through the remains of the two Destroyers, Garrus didn't spot the next wreck until the purple light from the Widow system's sun was blotted out. Making him look up in surprise as a low mutter escaped Michael.

A full sized Reaper, gutted along its left side, was what blotted our the sun's light. The massive vessel was still spilling some of its contents out into space, something deep within its gutted side glowing red. "It's dying." Michael murmured, making Garrus shoot him a brief glance. The man's eyes were narrowed, watching the Reaper intently as it suddenly moved, one of its arms meekly moving up to aim at them...and then going still as the light within it faded...and Michael released a small sigh of relief. "Another one bites the dust, eh?"

"Yeah..." Garrus muttered back, gaze already drawn elsewhere...and his heart stopping. "Spirits!"

Ahead, three more Reaper Destroyers drifted through space, but more importantly, so did the _entire_ Citadel defence fleet.

Side by side, two Turian Dreadnoughts, most of their hull shorn off – exposing the insides to the cold vacuum of space – drifted. Just ahead of them, a Salarian and an Asari Frigate had been destroyed, their pieces intermingling as their shredded bulkheads spun through space. An Alliance Cruiser's entire left side was gone, though its right engine was still flickering on and of, trying to power the husk of a ship forward as its exposed Drive Core dimly glowed.

An Alliance and a Turian Carrier lay further off, the two vessels nearly touching, trying to find cover together alongside a pair of Asari Frigates and every fighter they had managed to scramble. All were destroyed, a cluster of wreckage spinning on its axis, a ruined hornet's nest with its dead hornets sprinkled around it like motes of dust.

An Asari Cruiser, two dozen freighters and a Salarian Frigate was even further off, their hulls covered in dozens of holes.

An Asari Dreadnought, its armour boiled off along its belly, frozen bodies still tumbling out.

Everywhere, the remains of defenders lay, steam rolled by whatever force the Reapers had sent.

And of the Citadel, there was no trace.

_No_...

Garrus stared at the spot, at where the Citadel _always_ was...and felt a strange sensation of vertigo as his mind tried to comprehend it _not_ being there...

_I_..._didn't even know it could move_...

Garrus blinked, trying to come to terms with it...but it didn't make _sense_...someone might as well have moved _Palaven_ in his mind. The Citadel wasn't something you _could_ move, to him it wasn't just a city or station but a _planet_, something fixed in its orbit...the thought of simply moving it was _inconceivable_.

_That's how they get us_..._they do things we can't even imagine_..._make us believe we know what we're dealing with_..._then pull the rug out from under us_...

Next to the Normandy, the imposing structure of the SSV Everest caught up with them, a dizzying blur of fighters appearing from its sides as the Admiral aboard ordered reconnaissance, hoping against all logic to find _something_ that would make their defeat any less complete.

_Won't find anything_...

"Shepard." EDI suddenly spoke up, voice muted, sensing and mimicking the emotions of those around her, or perhaps having them herself...Garrus could never tell. "Hackett is calling you, he wishes you to board his ship for a debriefing."

_About what_? _How they've slaughtered us_? _How many we've lost in this short battl_e?

"I'll be right there." Michael muttered and turned, all too eager to turn his back to the horrifying sight ahead as he patted Garrus' shoulder before moving towards the airlock. "Bring us in to dock."

Garrus didn't follow though, nor turn to look to his friend or acknowledge the friendly gesture.

_You brutal monsters_..._no, __arrogant__, thinking you can just do what you please, that you can pounce on the weak and __helpless_..._just because you think we can't stop you_...

He was looking ahead, at where the Citadel should be, knowing what had befallen it and its fourteen million inhabitants...and that wasn't even counting the millions of refugees...

_If there ever was an injustice to be righted_...

He was looking at it as his eyes slowly narrowed, claws curling into fists.

_Harbinger_..._be_ _afraid_...

Deep in his throat, a low growl emanated.

_Archangel is coming for yo_u.

8

8

8

"The situation is grim."

The War Room aboard the Everest was actually smaller than the Normandy's, a private room for Hackett as much as one for drawing battle-plans. Michael was hardly surprised to find a mahogany desk at one end and a small unmade bed in one corner. As the Admiral leading the joint war-effort of the unified species in the galaxy, Hackett had a lot on his plate and obviously took his job as seriously as any man could.

Michael approved of that, and easily ignored the bed and table strewn with various data-discs – apparently Hackett was less prim and proper when in private than he appeared in public – as he focused on the two items of importance in the room. One was the holographic projector in the centre of the room, an image of the Earth spinning in its centre, hundreds of red specs dotting the space around it, showing the Reaper's strength around it growing with every passing moment. The other was the Quantum Entanglement device in the corner opposite the bed, a device filled with the surprisingly clear hologram of Anderson.

Michael almost wished it wasn't though.

The man looked worse than last time they'd seen each other. It was a skeleton looking back at them, akin to people in pictures Michael had seen in documentaries about the Second World War. The combat fatigues draped over him looked more like a shredded cloak than actual clothes, a cloak covered in filth that had also smudged every bit of the man's exposed skin. Yet deep in his hollow skull, a pair of glimmering eyes attentively took in the details of the room before him, of the two others in the room. Currently, they were fixed on Hackett, his parched lips moving to reply to the grim statement. "Yes, we spotted the Citadel touching down just today, could someone explain?"

_Touch_..._down_? Michael blinked, trying to imagine the scenario of the massive station _landing_ on Earth...it was impossible. Hackett was stroking his chin, eyes narrowed in a frown. "It appears that the _Citadel_ is the Catalyst...it's been hidden under our very noses. The Illusive Man and Cerberus have been defeated, but not before they managed to leak that information to the Reapers. They have obviously taken it to Earth to defend it with all they have."

"Ah, I see." Anderson nodded, frowning as well.

Surprised, Michael couldn't help but speak up. "You're not...surprised to hear about the Citadel?"

"Look at me." Anderson made a dejected gesture at his body, shoulders slumping, voice low. "I'm too tired to be surprised, I just want it to _end_..." There was a frightening tone of _longing_ at the statement, making Michael swallow. "Anyway, that's not the important part, what's worrying me is that to the best of our knowledge the Citadel is the key to the Relay systems...but given that I can still talk to you now, I'm assuming it's still operational? Why haven't the Reapers deactivated it? That way they could defeat us piecemeal."

_At least he's still capable of thinking_. Michael shot the skeletal Admiral a worried look before replying. "The Citadel wasn't _built_ as the Catalyst, that's a modification made by the Protheans. I believe the same Protheans doing that were those that sabotaged its ability to transport the Reapers from Dark Space, and it wouldn't surprise me if they've sabotaged many _other_ functions the Reapers could have it do."

"Which is good for us, but also means we have a limited amount of time, the Reapers _will_ overcome these hindrances if we wait." Hackett grunted. "We need to strike now, we need to reach the Catalyst, and we need to activate it and fire the Crucible."

"Easier said than done." Anderson replied, swaying slightly where he stood, making Michael nearly lunge to catch the Admiral before he remembered himself. "You haven't seen the hordes they've gathered here..."

"Then _tell_ us." Michael replied, eager for information. _They must be beaten_! He took a step closer, fervour gripping him. "Tell us _everything_ you know and we'll go from there." He held Anderson's gaze, unfazed by the grim eyes looking back. "And then we _will_ beat them."

A small chuckle escaped Anderson, the dry sound interrupted by a tired cough. "Always the fighter, eh, Shepard? Well...on the ground we're now about nine thousand strong." Michael and Hackett's eyes widened as Anderson shrugged. "I'm losing more people to disease and starvation by now than the Reapers...funny how quick food runs out when there's none to produce it and no place to store it, huh?" He paused, as if expecting them to laugh, then managed a small smile. "We have plenty of explosives and weapons, not much else though...we're running on will alone now, but even that is starting to run dry..."

Silence.

Neither of the other two were sure what to say, standing there with their prim uniforms and clean and fed bodies...what _could_ they say?

Hackett kept his face impassive though, his dry voice collected. "And what of the Citadel?"

"Its arms have been closed and its hovering over London, over what's left of Regent's Park, just a few kilometres above it." Anderson shook his head. "There's this beam...a scientist in my team postulated it both acts as a way to keep the Citadel in orbit...by all logic it should crash into Earth...but also as an elevator of sorts..." He shrugged. "I sent in a few scouts to check it out, before they were killed..." There was a frightening detachment as he said that, as if he knew they would die when he sent them, and didn't have the strength to care anymore. "...they reported seeing prisoners being forced into the beam...it's just a guess that they're sent up to the Citadel, but I don't see any other reason." The man grunted, a dry cough escaping him. "They've been transported from all over the planet, even from other planets, all being brought to that beam...I don't know why..." _More Reapers_..._they're making more Reapers_. He met Michael's gaze, and saw that the Spectre knew before he looked away. "...and I don't _want_ to know."

"Right." Michael nodded. "That means-"

"I'm not done." Anderson said, raising a skeletal hand and activating his omni-tool. "There's a great vortex in the sky around the Citadel. One of our scouts managed to avoid enemy fire when trying to fly there on a small plane...only to crash within five kilometres of the Citadel when all his systems went haywire. They've also deployed these...turrets around it, roughly two kilometres away from it, we've counted ten of them."

Turning, Michael found the hologram of the Earth fading away, replaced by a red structure of definite Reaper origin, the size that of a Reaper Destroyer, the legs making it resemble one. Its body was modified though, twin cannons as big as its torso jutting up from it, aiming skywards. "I haven't seen those in person, only read about them...Hackett?"

"We've seen them deployed on worlds they're still conquering as their fleet continue to new worlds, they have immense range and can shoot down _cruisers_ even while they're still in space. Mostly though, they seem to be used to punish any attempts to reinforce the planet, in addition to giving their infantry a place to hide if their enemies deploy bombers." Hackett grimly replied, obviously having had bad experiences with them. "This is _very_ bad, Shepard. Even though their ability to turn their guns is limited, their firepower effectively forces the drop site of any troops trying to land a further two kilometres out. That would make for a seven kilometre slog through hostile territory to reach the beam."

"And that's through swarms of husks, _millions_ of them." Anderson grunted, then paused. "However...my troops are already in position..." He stroked his chin. "We _could_ sneak into them, deploy explosives and destroy them as you approach, allowing your landing troops to get closer." Wearily, he dropped his hand, turning his gaze to Michael. "Given that you'll command the ground forces..." Michael knew what was coming, and he accepted it with but a nod, he _couldn't_ have it any other way. "...it's your call."

_Going in there will mean your death_. He saw it in Anderson's eyes, the man knew that, and obviously was willing to do it anyway. _But you and your people are already dead, you said_..._and the fate of the galaxy hinges on this battle_... The answer was, painfully, a no brainer. "Do it." Anderson's shoulders slumped, eyes lighting with approval...and Michael guiltily added. "But try to get out after you finish it, it would be good for morale if some people on Earth were saved."

Anderson nodded, the smile on his face telling Michael he didn't think that possible. "I'll have us escape through the tunnels."

"And I'll send someone to pick you up." Already, Michael was mentally picking out what troops he could spare for such a long shot that would likely just be to distract the Reapers...and hating himself for it. _But what choice do I have_? _I have to be realistic_... Thankfully, his voice didn't betray his anguish. "How many do you think you can bring down?"

"Realistically?" Anderson smiled. "None." A small chuckle. "But given what I've seen my people do by now...I wouldn't be surprised if we manage to take down three of them." A toothy grin. "A final act of revenge...one last roll of the die...we'll make it count."'

"Okay..." Michael nodded, feeling uncertain before the ragged mess of bone and cloth and precious little else before him. "...I've yet to look into the terrain to determine a landing site, if you could forward how the terrain now looks, I'd have more of an idea."

"Of course, I will." Anderson nodded back, then turned to the other man in the room. "However, the important part is getting within range to even _launch_ the offensive...Hackett?"

_Right, Admirals thinking it's far less complex planning a ground assault than one in space_... Michael turned to Hackett though, genuinely curious despite his limited understanding of space combat.

"Thanks to Shepard, we have the largest armada the galaxy has ever _seen_." Hackett shot Michael a polite nod. "I plan to put the majority of our forces into the vanguard I've named 'Sword', while retaining some reserves in our 'Shield' fleet whose main objective will be to guard the Crucible as we draw it nearer to the Citadel for the energy transfer." With that, he turned to the hologram, omni-tool glowing, making the Reaper turret disappear and be replaced by a large cube of thin yellow strands. "The Shield fleet will simply be a defensive convoy around the Crucible, designed for defence as well as deploying their stronger ships as reinforcement to Sword."

Ahead, the hologram was filled with the large grey structure of the Crucible, then a few turquoise ships far in front of it, followed by a _huge_ group of purple ships not only around it, but with their largest vessels in front of it, essentially forming a shield in front of their charge._ Is that_...?

"I've put what few Hanar and Elcor ships we have available at the front, they are advanced enough to match most modern vessels and will be the first to come in as reinforcement when needed." Hackett explained. "And as you can clearly see, I've formed the Quarian Flotilla around the Crucible to act as the spine of its defence. Firstly, their skills as salvagers and engineers might mean the difference between victory and defeat should something happen to the Crucible. Secondly, their ships are too old to simply keep up with the rest of our fleet, making them better operating on their own. Given the sheer numbers of ships they cannot only _physically_ shield the Crucible – their liveships in particular – but they will also have enough firepower when combined to see off anything breaking through for an attack. Thirdly, given their recent war with the Geth, even if they're now at peace, I thought it wise to separate the factions between the two fleets."

_That might be wise._.. Michael wasn't sure, he had a feeling the peace would last, Tali certainly told him of good results being made by the two races on Rannoch, but there was no reason to put the relationship to the test mid-combat. _Especially when both victory and defeat will end any potential hostilities in the future_..._poor_ _Geth_. Anderson was frowning though. "So you're putting nearly no quality ships at the back? That leaves you with precious little reinforcements to react to enemy movements, especially if these Quarian vessels are slower than the average ship."

"True, but we're fresh out of options, I'm afraid." Hackett admitted. "We need to hit the Reapers hard from the start, if we don't, they'll be able to peel off and engage the forces heading for Earth, making any defence of the Crucible pointless."

Anderson frowned, then nodded in consent.

"Now, for the sword fleet we have a more complex, joint action formation..." The Crucible and its escorts faded away as Hackett raised his hand. "Let us focus on the Dreadnoughts and Carriers first. The Turian Dreadnoughts with their potent mix of armour, shields and firepower will deploy at the centre and front." Instantly, thirty grey ships appeared in the centre of the hologram, clustered together to form a cone-shaped front pointing at Michael. "Followed by the Asari Dreadnoughts who with their firepower and agility can use the Turians as a shield as well as assist them when the Reapers engage up close." Twelve pink ships, far less pointed, yet more graceful in style, appeared behind the grey ships, the Destiny Ascension standing out at the centre with it's immense size.

"And the Turians are...okay with this arrangement?" Anderson interrupted, sounding somewhat surprised.

"Victus understands it's do or die. We'll play to our strengths or perish." Hackett replied, a hint of respect in his voice. "Then, we have our Carriers..." Over a dozen grey and blue figures appeared behind the Asari Dreadnoughts. "...defended by the Alliance Dreadnoughts that will use their versatility to either protect the rear or render assistance to the front, as the situation demands." Five blue figures appeared around the group of carriers. "Now, both we and the Turians have managed to use our fighters that have Thanix Cannons very sparingly, and I believe the Reapers don't quite understand how many we have. As such we will wait to deploy them until they are upon the fleet, at which point I believe enough of them will even be capable of felling a Reaper capital ship, given enough time."

"Sounds like you're hoping to surprise them." Anderson stated, a hint of approval in his voice.

"I intend to grasp at every straw I _can. _They _will_ chew through us, but the tougher the meal is, the longer Shepard has to complete his mission." Hackett stoically replied. "Hell, my formation is space's equivalent of Hannibal's formation at Cannae." He waved his hand...and a huge mass of ships – hundreds of them – appeared on the hologram, fanning out from the Dreadnoughts until they formed a multicoloured umbrella facing forward, it's tip pointing at Michael's chest. "Cruisers and Frigates from the Terminus are the brown ones, they're of varying quality, but together make up half our numbers. I've spread them out among the rest of our vessels, hoping to add a mix of firepower, manoeuvrability, resilience and numbers to all flanks, hoping to stall the Reapers as much as possible."

_Damn_... Michael let out a small whistle. ..._that's a __lot__ of ships_..._I hadn't realised_...

"I intend to engage the Reapers from the side, to avoid as many hits on Earth as possible, and then invite them to engage." Hackett grimaced ever so slightly. "They might be intelligent, Shepard, but tactically they've proven exceedingly...simple in their approach." _Arrogant_. "Knowing their superiority in hardware, they will surge forward and release their oculi fighters to tie up our forces." _Oh right, those things. Damn, I hated the Collectors using them_. "Fortunately for us, our Geth allies have a superior Gardian system and will be deployed at the front to funnel these fighters into our Dreadnoughts."

On the hologram, dozens of yellow ships appeared, forming a thin cone in front of the umbrella, a cone facing the tip of it. As he watched what seemed like thousands of red dots also appeared, pouring towards the formation, many being destroyed in blasts of white as they faced the yellow ships, but the majority poured down along the cone and straight towards the waiting Dreadnoughts where a bright white light appeared as hundreds of kills were registered.

"Even so, we will take losses, and the Geth will retreat into the main formation as we give the Reapers what they want, a close quarter engagement aimed at making disengagement impossible so they can destroy our flagships." The yellow Geth ships were pulling back, becoming part of the umbrella now swarming with red dots...and ahead a flood of Reaper ships, both Dreadnoughts and Destroyers flooded forward. The larger ships aimed for the irresistible target of the Dreadnoughts as the Carriers at the back began releasing their fighters, and the smaller moved to engage the large screen of Cruisers and Frigates on the sides.

"Wait..." Michael blinked, suddenly realising something. "...where're the Salarians in all this?"

"Ah, you noticed." Hackett replied, face grim. "They are here." The sudden appearance of ten green Dreadnoughts as well as a hundred Cruisers and Frigates at the bottom of the formation was startling. "You see, they have not only managed to adopt the Normandy's stealth drive for their Frigates, but also a limited ability for their Dreadnoughts and Cruisers to use it...as such the Reapers won't spot them at first, leaving fewer ships to face them than strategically sound. They, with the Normandy, will be our way in."

In a show of bright lights, the Salarian Dreadnoughts and Cruisers began to fire, smashing aside the few Reaper Destroyers in their path before a distinct blue Frigate followed by a swarm of green ones poured forth, right past the Reaper fleet now slowly pushing back the main fleet.

"This will of course punch a hole for those Frigates that don't have stealth drives but which you need, plus the transports you require." Frigates that had been part of the umbrella now moved down to the green Dreadnoughts before veering to follow the Normandy's path, quickly followed by a group of slower brown ships surrounded by a plethora of blue fighters. "Hopefully, it'll ensure that you can land the majority of your forces unscathed and that the Frigates required for the assault can quickly return to flank the Reapers to further slow their advance."

"And once we're down it's just a matter of fighting our way through _millions_ of husks, reach the beam, _hope_ you don't get melted into paste when entering, then try and _find_ the controls the Protheans built and _hope_ the one reaching it understands how to activate it...hopefully before the Crucible gets destroyed..." Michael smirked, eyeing the hologram still playing out its battle as the Reapers slowly began to chew through the formation of enemies despite being both outflanked and swarmed by fighters. "...that about sums it up?"

"Jeez, and here I thought you were the _optimist_ among us." Anderson grunted, smiling softly.

"Oh don't worry, we _will_ win." Michael assured the skeletal figure with a grin, then looked back to the hologram as the allied fleet was devoured, smile fading. "I promise you that."

_I just don't want to lose everyone doing so_...

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being such a great distraction._


	60. Chapter 60

"The entire galaxy heeding my call...and _these_ are the troops I have at my disposal?"

Michael wasn't sure _what_ to think of it as he looked at the numbers scrolling before him on the holographic display in the War Room. Anger was certainly a feeling, disbelief another, and then there was that bubbling feeling of a desperate laugh coming out that he was suppressing with every ounce of his will. _So much pain, so much blood_..._for this_? _The fleet is massive_..._yet I'm stuck with this_?

"It's those that can be made available within our schedule." Garrus corrected, the Turian watching Michael with a calm the Spectre envied from across the holographic projector. "Plus, getting more out of whatever war zone they're in would require more resources than we'd get from them...the war is still being fought across the galaxy, you know."

"I know..." Michael sighed, hand coming up to rub his eyes. "...I was the one going through what we could requisition and not, remember?" Looking back to Garrus, Michael wasn't surprised to find the Turian expectantly raising his browplate, making him roll his eyes. "So yes, it was _my_ decision to make do with what we have...at some point one has to act, especially when time is running out."

"Well as I recall..." Garrus drawled, amused. "...I've been agreeing with you non-stop so far, so I'm not sure _why_ you're arguing with me..."

"Well...I don't know..." Michael's shoulders slumped in defeat. "...I think I'm just frustrated."

"Sure, sure..." Garrus grunted with a shrug, glancing down at his numbers. "...although, and this is just me saying it...given the number of transports and shuttles we have...we really _can't_ get any more troops on the ground within a reasonable amount of time. Not if you don't want us to get slowed down to a crawl in a traffic-jam..."

"I _know_ that..." Michael snapped in annoyance. "...I was the one who went through the numbers and judged..." He saw Garrus' browplate rise even further...and chuckled as his hand moved up to rub his temple. "...okay, okay, I get what you're saying. I can't change things now, and it's a good plan."

"There you go." Garrus grinned, then shook his head. "Although I'm not so pleased with my own position...I mean...rearguard, _really_!?" He grimaced. "My place is with you."

"Hey, who's the best defensive tactician I know?" Michael smirked back. "Sorry, but we have to play to our strengths here, and I don't want the Turians at the back breaking..." Garrus scoffed at the idea, arms crossed over his chest in hurt pride. "..._or_ suffer unnecessary casualties"

"And what's _Victus_? An ensign?" Garrus replied with a grunt. "He is _more_ than capable of leading the rearguard."

"Yes." Michael said, as patiently as he could. "But someone has to make sure he doesn't die, or if he does, take over...that's you." Garrus was still frowning at him, making Michael laugh. "Come on! I'm entrusting you not only to keep my six clear but to guard Tali, for crying out loud! You think I don't take that seriously?"

"Well there is that..." Garrus replied, grinning. "...I did enjoy _hearing_ her protest at the idea of staying back on the Flotilla during the battle though...from three decks away." Michael grimaced, hand coming up to his head, the bruise at the top of his head _still_ stinging. _Quarian women are crazy, the whole lot of them_. "Still, I should be there, making sure you don't get killed and all, you know, since you have a habit of doing that."

"Oh come now, I have Grunt and James with me, they're big enough to make a _wall_ for me." Michael winked back. "And then there's Liara, you know her biotics will shred anything trying to get to me. I'll be the safest guy on the battlefield...relatively speaking."

"Yeah right, just you wait until there's an obstacle or something." Garrus grumbled with rolling eyes. "Then you'll be all 'look at me, pushing through with sheer bravery and by virtue of my Spectre-power'..."

"What would a Spectre-power _be_, exactly?" Michael snickered, then looked back on his figures. "Okay, one more time, from the top..." Garrus loudly sighed. "...I know, I know, but just to quadruple check..."

"Fine, but this is the _last_ time." Garrus sighed, not even bothering to look at the figures anymore as he started them off. "Right, first wave will deploy on Checkpoint Alpha...that's...Battersea Park unless there's complications...really, what sea are you beating from there?"

"_Garrus_..." Michael shot the Turian a look. The joke had gotten a bit tame after the second time...never mind the fourth...and Michael had a sneaky suspicion it was the Turian's way of punishing him for going through everything again.

"You're such a grouch." The Turian sighed. "Fine, first wave will be the joint Turian and Human special forces, nearly five thousand strong, deploying in Mako's...though spirits know that with all those heavy weapons they might detonate on landing...happy now?" Michael gestured him to continue, making Garrus roll his eyes and drone on. "The contingent will be further enhanced by auxiliary N-seven operatives coming in shuttles...really, since when could Drell and _Batarians_ be recruited into the Alliance special forces?"

"It's just a designation, something they just came up with. I'm not complaining as long as they fight." Michael replied with a little grin. It was _good_ to see such a group, volunteers that had bonded together, becoming special forces through _experience_ rather than training as they did everything they could to defend their people. All across the galaxy, some had risen to the challenge beyond anything one could expect, forming teams that had done as well as any official squad. Former Krogan bouncers fighting next to Asari dancers, Quarian merchants working with Batarian slavers...all having eschewed their old profession to fight an uphill battle, their numbers pruned through war but their strength growing. _And there's so __many__ of them_..._they'll be a great help_. "Now get on with it."

"Okay, okay...hard-ass." Garrus chuckled.

"Says the _Turian_."

"You want me to read on or not!?"

"Sure, sure, but with less bitching, please."

Shooting Michael an exasperated look, Garrus took a deep breath before he glanced down at the list. "They'll be lead by Sidonis, Jacob and Captain Riley, in that order." Michael grimaced. It had been a compromise. He hadn't liked the idea of Sidonis in command, and many in the Alliance hadn't liked the idea of obeying Jacob. So Sidonis ended up in charge while Captain Riley was added as a third commander to calm some of the Alliance troops still having issues with the ex-Cerberus troops. Michael had preferred someone..._more_, like Miranda or even _Kaidan_, but there simply were too few available commanders for that force. "In securing Checkpoint A, these troops will be assisted by two thousand five hundred STG operatives and a thousand Asari Commandos that'll be dropping down in Hammerheads. They'll be lead by Jondum Bau, Shiala and Padok Wiks, in that order...really strong group there, if I may say so myself, perfect for what you have in mind for them."

"Oh, so first you jerk me around and now you're complimenting me?" Michael replied with a smirk while crossing his arms in front of him. "Should I be amused or terrified?"

"I'd like the former, that way you won't see me coming." Garrus drawled back, then grimaced. "And damn, that's nearly all the armour we have...shame all Turian and Asari stuff is tied up, just Human and Krogan armour is a little...well...little."

"Well as you said, it would cost us too much trying to extract that stuff." Michael shrugged, trying not to think on what they'd been forced to do to get some extra armour on the field. "What's next?"

"You _know_ what's next-"

"_Garrus_..."

"Fine, _fine_..." Sighing, the Turian suppressed a yawn. "Second group, lead by you, Grunt and the _trembling_ James...really, he's going into the battle for the galaxy and he's more worried about _possibly_ being in command rather than the whole 'victory or death of the galaxy' thing...you _sure_ he's a good choice?"

"He's proven himself." Michael replied with a shrug. "Besides, he's third in line...it's more of a precaution...we're sadly lacking Human and Krogan commanders." That..._irked_ him. Wreav had elected to stay fighting on some backwater world rather than lead the charge on Earth...and Michael had a sneaky suspicion the man did that because he sensed how dangerous the battle would be, what better way to win the next war but to be the one survivor of the previous one? _That would also explain his choice of troops to send. Sure, there's many of them, but it's not exactly the cream of the crop_..._not Wrex's commitment, but that's the price for the Salarian fleet_. Still, young Krogan were aggressive, and Michael had a feeling Grunt would drive them on well. "Anyway, how many are they?"

"You _know_..." A groan escaped Garrus as Michael shot him a look, the Turian's head dropping low. "...roughly twenty thousand Alliance Marines and half as many Krogan soldiers." Looking back up, he continued in a monotone voice. "Plus a twelve hundred Vorcha from the Blood Pack, a thousand Blue Sun and Eclipse soldiers merged together, all under the command of Vido..." _Damn, we're lucky Zaeed didn't kill him, the only merc leader daring to come with us_. "...plus two thousand mechs, two hundred of them being YMIR mechs...we agreed to load them onto the Tomkah Wreav _borrowed_ for us, right?" Garrus grimaced at the word, then shook his head. "They'd have to catch up with the main force, given that they'd have to be deployed with the third, right?"

Michael nodded. "Sure, but while they're difficult to deploy, they're at least fast, I'm more worried about the _Grizzlies_."

"I like them."

"Of course you do, they have _big_ guns." Michael snorted. It was actually pretty impressive. A combination of Human improvisation, Salarian genius and Quarian ingenuity had turned the ageing tanks commissioned from various backwater garrisons into something _genuinely_ useful. The predecessor to the Mako was now not really a tank in need of decommission, but a mobile artillery piece, its turret replaced by a large Thanix cannon. Of course, with their old armour and shields, as well as their bad mobility made even worse by the added load, Michael had considered not bringing them, but the risk of facing a Reaper on the ground was too great. Michael wasn't actually sure the smaller cannons the eight hundred Grizzlies he had could _damage_ a Reaper...but what choice did he have? "And they come with...?"

Shaking his head, Garrus reluctantly answered. "Two thousand Quarian engineers and Marines attached to the Grizzlies to keep them moving and working, plus fifteen thousand Turian soldiers, nine thousand Geth and a thousand Armatures. Military forces commanded by Victus, me and Legion, tanks guided by EDI while their maintenance team is lead by Tali." Garrus shrugged. "Can I go now? I've heard that sleep is good before a battle."

"Yeah, sure..." Michael hesitated, looking over to Garrus who had stopped mid-step before turning to leave, looking at Michael...who opened his mouth, not sure what to say. "I...Garrus..."

A sigh...and Garrus' shoulders slumped. "Yeah..." He looked down at his feet, then back to Michael, smiling. "...not quite like old times, huh?"

"We...could pretend." Michael offered, not sure what he meant.

A small chuckle escaped his friend, who straightened. "I'd like that..." A pause, then a smile. "Drinks afterwards is on the one with the most kills, okay?"

"You got it, buddy." Michael grinned back, enjoying the lie even as he knew what lay ahead. "I'll leave you in the dust."

"Good for you! Always aiming for the impossible..." Garrus chuckled, shot Michael a strange look, seemingly about to say something...and then turned to leave, raising his claw in a casual goodbye. "See you tomorrow, friend."

"You too..." Michael drew a deep breath as he watched Garrus go.

Then the door closed behind the Turian, allowing Michael to exhale as he let the grief loose.

"...brother."

8

8

8

Feeling a little better from a private cry, Michael felt strong enough to face the next one who had summoned him before he'd allow himself to go to bed.

Of course, given _who_ had summoned him, Michael felt reluctant to go.

It wasn't so much that he _feared_ Liara, he cared for her deeply, more than words could say...yet he feared _himself_ with her, for what he might ruin. Yet at the same time he couldn't refuse her, he couldn't march into his final battle with such a regret, without having found _some_ kind of closure with the Asari.

As such, he hesitantly entered the Asari's chamber, clearing his throat before calling out. "Liara? You in here? You called for me?"

"Yes..." Was the hesitant reply, Liara stepping out from her bedroom, dressed in her science uniform, eyes questioning. "...I did so quite a long time ago...is...is everything okay?"

"Yeah.." Michael grimaced, glancing back as the door closed behind him. "...debriefing took a while...I guess that's mostly my fault, me and Garrus, well I felt-"

"You didn't want to stop doing what you two love." Liara finished, smiling weakly, then hesitated. "I...considering what will...are you afraid?"

Michael blinked, not having expected the sudden change of topic, nor the question...but then he shook his head. "Sad that this is the end? Yes. Glad for the way it'll end? Yes. But afraid...? No...not for myself, at least." He shrugged. "And you?"

"For the galaxy? No...you'll save it." Liara replied, making it sound like fact. "For myself? Yes...a little." She blushed at the admission. "I know it's selfish, but I don't want to die. I'm still so young..." Michael smirked at that, making the Asari smile back. "...relatively speaking."

Silence filled the room.

The two smiled at one another, something squeezing Michael's heart as he felt how torn Liara was inside, how _unsure_ she was.

Finally, he forced himself to speak. "You...wanted to see me?"

"Yes...I just don't know how to start." Liara took half a step forward, then stopped, unsure, bashfully looking away. "It's just...we know what will...I just want to..." Michael struggled not to step forward, not to push her head up so she could see him, to assure her that everything would be fine and she could tell him _anything_.

He didn't trust himself that far.

Yet the feeling emanated from him...and Liara glanced up at him, a smile flickering across her face before she looked back down on the floor. "I...I want to give you something...y-you can say no if you don't want it..."

"Give me something?" Michael echoed, confused. "But...I'll be..."

"It's not a _thing_." Liara replied, sounding a little more sure of herself as she took a step closer, looking back up to him, eyes earnest. "It's...it's what you..." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "...it's what you'd want, if fate had been kinder." Michael stared at her, suddenly sensing what she meant, tasting a hint of it on the tip of his tongue, making him shudder with a longing he'd denied himself in fear of it weakening him. "It...it can't be _just_ as you'd want it...but...it would be a taste...just..._something_, instead of _nothing_."

Michael squeezed his eyes shut, trembling where he stood. _I_..._I can't think of that, nothing else matters, nothing but the defeat of the Reapers, th-the future is pointless until they've been defeated_...

"I..." He sensed Liara taking a step closer...then back. "...if you don't want it, I could-"

Michael's hand shot out as his eyes opened, catching Liara's shoulder as she stared at him.

He swallowed.

"O-okay..."

Liara froze to the floor, then swallowed as well, inching closer as she blushed. "O-okay..." She swallowed again, chest heaving with quick little breaths. "R-remember, I can't...I _can't_ make it like _y-you'd_ dream it to be, I..."

Michael's other hand came up, gripping her other shoulder as he offered a reassuring smile. "It's okay...please...I'll gladly accept it."

"Okay..." Liara inched even closer, eyes filling Michael's vision, eyes turning dark so swiftly it was like he was falling into a well.

Her voice was but a whisper.

"..._embrace_ _eternity_."

Michael squeezed his eyes shut, suddenly dizzy as he fell into darkness.

Then he opened them...and blinked as he looked onto a setting sun.

He was sitting in a lawn-chair.

On a porch of a house atop a little cliff.

The view ahead was of a majestic forest and a distant city in the distance, its elegant skyscrapers seemingly kissing the sky.

_Huh_...

He felt..._older_...an ache in his joints he didn't remember making the chair so comfortable to sit in as the setting sun bathed his weathered skin, making his silvery hair shine.

He also felt _rested_, like no dreams had hounded him for a very long time.

Content, not worried over any war or Reapers.

Proud, of his victory.

It was a strange feeling, real, yet _not_...

Had the air always been so fresh? The trees so green? Michael breathed in deep, smiling at the smell of flowers and the scent of food being made somewhere in the house behind him.

Then, something in his lap moved.

Michael froze.

Then looked down, slowly, carefully.

The white towel he hadn't even noticed he was holding was in a bundle.

A bundle that was _moving_.

Breathless, Michael gently pulled a fold aside.

The sleeping beauty in his arms was smiling, a chubby thumb stuck in her mouth, her free arm trying to pull free of the constricting cloth.

_Like she always does_...

Michael smiled at the thought, an overwhelming love sweeping through his chest as he let the little toddler have her way, freeing the dark blue arm, watching her hand close around his finger as she somehow managed to catch it in her sleep. A little yawn...and the babe whimpered ever so slightly.

"Hey, hush, hush..." Michael muttered, rocking the baby as much as he dared while staring at her in utter fascination. "No waking up early like last time..."

Another whimper, and the babe went quiet, her thumb falling out of her mouth as her hand joined her other in grabbing at Michael's fingers, as if wishing to hold him even in her sleep.

Michael let her, and held her hands in turn with a broad smile on his face.

_God, I love you_...

Behind him, there was a creak as the wooden door he'd installed years ago opened, softly padding feet moving up behind him, making him smile.

Kneeling down next to him, Liara let a hand brush the still developing scalp of their child with an oddly sad smile on her face, then she turned to regard Michael, her hand moving up to brush his hair in just the same way.

For a moment, they just stayed like that.

Then she smiled. "Dinner's ready."

"Okay, I'll be right in." Michael replied, free hand moving up to stroke her cheek before he gently kissed her lips. Slowly, he pulled back, smiling at her, then down to the child in his lap with a grin. "Just give us a moment, we're having a disagreement about who owns my hand."

"Okay." Liara breathed, rising to her feet, tone chiding but amused. "Just don't fall asleep again, I worked hard on this meal."

"I won't." Michael replied, smiling down at the babe in his lap as Liara softly padded back into their home. "She's always fretting, you know..." He kissed the child's forehead, keeping his voice low. "...don't tell her I told you that though. Falling asleep...ridiculous."

With that, he turned his eyes to the sunset, smiling at the warmth, at the happiness flowing through him.

He closed his eyes.

And fell asleep.

"Huh?" Blinking, Michael found himself slurring the question as he looked around himself in confusion.

He was in Liara's room, on the Normandy... and the Asari looking back up at him was biting her lower lip, trembling as she struggled to hold back tears.

_Ah_.

Michael couldn't be angry, couldn't feel awkward, couldn't feel regretful or even _guilty_ over what he'd seen...instead he smiled back at Liara, the hands on her shoulders tightening their grip as he just looked at her.

Slowly, she stopped shaking, blinking her eyes as she just held his gaze, unsure and confused, but no longer afraid.

Michael took a deep breath, the smell of flowers and their meal seemingly lingering with him...and gently kissed Liara on the lips.

Then, he forced himself to take a step back, to let go of the Asari.

She looked smaller without his hands on her, sad, yet without regret as she held his gaze.

There was nothing Michael _could_ say to fit the gift... yet he tried, his voice low, a shaky whisper.

"_Thank_ _you_."

Liara's only answer was a smile, gentle, final.

Without another sound, Michael turned and left.

8

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8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being such a good kind of mess._


	61. Chapter 61

_Hmmm, could I do something more with the Geth_?

Sitting on the corner of his bed, naked save his boxers, Michael was frowning down at the datapad in his lap, raking his mind for something extra to his plan. The map Anderson had forwarded to him of the current London sported many frightening dark spots from a lack of intelligence, yet what it showed was a depressing picture of nothing but jagged ruins, leaving far too many issues when it came to fighting their way forward. Michael was all too aware of what would happen if their advance towards the beam was stalled...

_I could keep them in reserve, I know how swiftly they could be deployed via their Dropships_. He sighed at himself, it wasn't the first time he had thought of that, and again, he had to correct himself. _No, that won't work, the interference from the Citadel would make them crash when trying to reach our forces advancing on it_..._I guess they have to stay with wave three, they're too slow when deployed to support the vanguard_.

Behind him, there was a small shuffle as Tali's sleepy voice drifted through the room. "Michael...?"

"Sorry, I'm just checking some things." Michael muttered back, shifting to another page on the datapad. _Revenant as a main weapon, given the mix of many smaller foes and big ones I'll bring both the Eagle and Carnifex pistols, pretty heavy by then, no sniper rifle, but all the cityscape will require a shotgun_..._the Scimitar is light and has many shots_. _Hmmm_..._still heavy, but I think I should bring a Cain none the less_. "I keep thinking I've missed something..." He muttered the words so low that Tali couldn't hear him, knowing he was just being paranoid.

"Michael..." Tali whispered back, a soft hand sliding over his shoulder and down to his chest as even softer skin pressed up against his back. "..you've done everything you can, just...let us try to enjoy our last..." A brief sound of her swallowing reached him. "...let's try to get some rest, you need that too, you know."

"Heh, fair enough." Michael tossed the datapad before turning, hands moving to pull the cover back over him as he laid down next to his lover. In front of him, she was staring at him in surprise. "What? You're right, there's nothing more I _can_ do at this stage..." Michael replied, a deep sigh escaping him as his body suddenly relaxed, nearly going limp. "...it's kind of a..._relief_... I have no more politics, no more horrible decisions...I'm..._free_." He smiled, though it faded as an image of the Illusive Man's face flashed before his mind's eye. But then he shook it off, smile returning. _No, I'm not like him, this is not a surrender, this is certainty_.

"Yeah...it'll..." Tali swallowed, forcing a brave smile. "...finally end."

Sensing her anguish, Michael inched closer, lips brushing her forehead. "I'm sorry."

A sniffle, and the woman shook her head. "Ignore me, I'm being silly, what's the point of fighting the inevitable?"

"Well I've been doing just that all my life, it feels like..." Michael replied with a little smirk, an arm sneaking around her waist. His smirk died though, a sigh escaping him. "It's not silly."

"You're just saying that to please me." Tali grumbled, shooting him a feigned scathing look. "Don't think I've forgiven you for putting me at the back with the tanks, I should be with _you_."

Inwardly, Michael groaned, it was an argument they'd already been over, and that was _after_ the one about him trying to put her with the fleet during a moment of weakness. He did _not_ want her in the slaughter-house that would be the Earth battlefield...but she'd refused that, and with good reasons. She _would_ do better on the ground...however much the thought of that frightened Michael. "Don't start again, Tali. I have Grunt, James _and_ Liara to keep me safe." The Quarian's eyes flashed with _something_ at the mention of the last name, but it was gone as soon as it appeared. "We _all_ need to do what we're best at if we're even going to have a _chance_ of-"

A long finger slipped up across his lips as Tali interrupted. "I know, I know..." A little chuckle. "...I wish I'd been born a Krogan."

"I sure don't." Michael laughed. "You'd break the bed."

That caused a titter from Tali, the Quarian rolling her eyes. "I suppose you have a point there. Besides, no offence to Grunt, but I think Rannoch is a _little_ better a place to live on than Tuchanka."

"Far less radiation and ruins is always a good thing." Michael agreed. "Besides, I've never _seen_ a Tuchanka sea, Rannoch's are..._beautiful_."

Tali blinked, a forlorn look on her face. "I always wanted to have a house near a Rannoch sea, it would be endless...like space, a reminder of my time in the Flotilla..." She offered a small smile. "Again, maybe it's silly, but...well..."

"...one shouldn't forget where you're from." Michael finished with a serious nod, he knew all too well how your past stayed with you, how it _shouldn't_ be forgotten. An image of Liara, then their..._child_...swept before his eyes and Michael grimaced, guilt gripping him as Tali's brows furrowed in confusion. _I should tell her_..._no_..._well_ _I_..._no_... To distract her from his inner turmoil, Michael leant forward, briefly kissing her before rolling over onto his back, smiling as the taste of her lips and Liara's vision lingered with him, intertwining. "Rannoch would be nice to live on...no bugs, a warm sun but the winds will keep you cool. Most humans would call it a paradise...and I'd always wondered how I'd do with a hammer."

"Terrible, probably." Tali replied, Michael turned his head to glance at her, finding her smirking at him before she too rolled over, looking up and drawing a shuddering breath. "You should leave building to me...you could hold my tools."

"Great, from Commander to a mobile toolbox." Michael snorted, though he did so with a smile, eyes looking up. There was a glass in the ceiling that he didn't notice all that often, though every time he did, he did what he did just now...he stared at the stars, trying to count them and failing. _The galaxy is so large, looks so peaceful_..._it's amazing to think that anything horrible awaits us out there_. _And somewhere out there_..._Rannoch waits_... "You think it could have a balcony...or something? The house, I mean?"

Next to him, Tali remained silent for a long time.

Then, softly, her hand slipped into his, their fingers interlocking.

"Yes..." Her voice was a whisper. "...yes, it could have a balcony, a big one, if you'd like." A small chuckle. "But I demand a roof for it, I'm _not_ getting burnt just because you want to be outdoors all the time, no doubt doing that barbecue thing you humans keep going on about." Michael grinned at that even as she continued. "I'm on to you, mister."

"I'd prefer it to be a one storey, building, so maybe on a cliff overlooking the sea?" Michael asked, smile lingering on his lips as he stared out into the galaxy, not really seeing the stars anymore, but a twinkling sea.

"Yes...not too many walls indoors though-" Tali began.

And Michael finished the sentence for her without trouble, remembering his visit to the Flotilla during Tali's trial. "...lots of space, for once, and maybe separated by colourful tapestries...yes." He didn't need to turn his head too look at her, he _felt_ her smile.

Just as he felt her hand closing tighter around his, voice trembling. "Y-you'd need a project though...so-something to do..."

"I have my model collection...lots of ships out there." Michael let a little chuckle escape him, only for the sound to end, his brows furrowing ever so slightly. "Plus...well...would be nice to maybe dedicate the rest of my life to _nurture_ life for a change..."

"M-Michae-ael...?" The question was a whimper, shaking with emotions.

Michael momentarily closed his eyes, feeling his body seemingly sink deeper into the bed. "Garrus mentioned that the war will leave a lot of orphans, he's all too right. Wouldn't...wouldn't helping one or two be...right? I'm leading _so_ many into something that will make their children orphans, I'm...I'd like to make up for that..."

"You're _not_." Her hand was _clutching_ at his, the other coming around to grip at his chest as he felt her breath tickle his neck as she spoke with a fervour that couldn't quite hold back the flood of emotions. "You're saving _all_ children fr-from becoming orphans, _and_ from not existing, n-never doubt that..." A shuddering pause, the fingers on Michael's chest curling, seemingly wanting to dig their way to his heart. "Yo-you'd want that though...? Not..._just_ b-because of the war...?"

Michael could no longer stop himself, he rolled onto his side, smile wide as he saw Tali's tear streaked face, felt her hand press against his chest. "With all my heart."

By his next heartbeat, Tali had her face buried in his chest, her grip on his hand painfully strong as the one on his chest slid up to his shoulder. She was _shaking_...and Michael moved his free arm over her shoulders as he let her weep, his own eyes stinging. "I...I would have loved that...f-finally...fa-family...t-together...wh-what ev-every Qu-Quarian _should_ ha-have...I...I w-want to do b-better than fa-father...I _know_ I'd d-do better..." Then, she got silent, shuddered, before her voice called out, _angry_. "It's not fair."

Michael held her closer at that, closing his eyes as he felt the first tear trickle down his cheek, set on distracting Tali from the dark thoughts of what would happen could get to her. "M-maybe a H-Human _and_ a Quarian...a girl and a boy...wouldn't that be something?"

Instantly, Tali's angry tone was replaced by one wracked by little sobs. "W-we could n-name th-them Ash-Ashley and Kal..."

Michael blinked, surprised Tali would do such a thing, the former name surprising him. _Maybe_..._maybe she's gotten past the jealousy_? _Maybe I should_... But then his arm tightened around her, another tear moving down his face. _No_. It was perhaps selfish, but he didn't want to ruin one of the last chances he had of a good moment with Tali. Instead he managed a chuckle, though it sounded throaty and struggling even to his own ears. "I...I think they'll pr-probably already have names..."

"N-not if th-they're t-too young..." Tali murmured. "I...I w-want to n-name th-them..."

_To finally be part of a real family_..."O-okay..." Michael found himself trembling in rhythm with the Quarian, his breaths ragged. "W-wouldn't it b-be go-good w-with a d-dog too...?"

"I...I've seen v-vids of th-them..." Tali whimpered into his chest. "I...I'd l-love o-one..."

Michael squeezed his eyes shut, unable to stop the flood of tears from finally bursting forth as he squeezed Tali's hand tightly and bent his head down to nuzzle against her ear._ I'm so sorry, I'm so terribly_..._I_ _shouldn't_..._it's not right of me to let you_... _go_ _on_ _alone_..._I don't want to leave you_..._I want more_..._time_...

His throat was in a vice, he couldn't _speak_.

His hand on her back moved up, reaching the top of her neck, pulling her head even closer as he buried his face in amongst her quills.

A little gasp, and Tali's shoulders jerked, voice a low sniffle. "Keelah, look at us...it won't even...I mean it won't..."

_That's why it hurts_. Michael didn't dare say it though, instead he held her tighter, so tight he feared he'd hurt her...yet he couldn't let go. "I wish things were different."

The words seemed too small, unable to grasp the magnitude of the injustice done to them.

But what else _could_ he say?

Tali chuckled into his chest though. "That's the understatement of the century..." Then went still. "Me too though."

Michael opened his mouth to answer, yet no words came and he slowly closed it, content to breathe in the scent of the woman in his arms.

Neither did she speak.

They just lay there, holding on another.

The galaxy, for once, not intruding on their existence.

Silent.

_Theirs_.

They had to have held each other for at least an hour, or so Michael's stiff muscles told him as Tali suddenly stirred, the Quarian reluctantly releasing his cramping hand and inching away from him, head downcast. "We should...sleep...I...it's going to be a long day tomorrow..."

Michael grimaced, feeling the moment break as the galaxy seemingly invaded their room once more, dark tentacles of cruelty and fear coiling around him like tendrils of some unseen monster. "I don't..." He grimaced again, feeling Tali tense under his hands, sensing what he would say. "...those dreams I told you about...they...I'm not sure I _want_ to sleep." _I'm_ _afraid, of what might happen __there, or here, to you_...

"Well..." Tali replied, tone suddenly carefully neutral. "...I guess we have to make you too _tired_ to dream."

"What are you-?" Michael's question got caught in his throat as the head against his chest suddenly moved, soft lips brushing his skin. _Oh_. Tali glanced up at him, eyes still rimmed with tears, yet a coy look within them. Then she bowed her head back down, going lower, and _lower_...making Michael's toes curl with pleasure and anticipation in equal measure. _Ohhhh_...

Michael's head tilted back, a deep sigh escaping him as warmth spread through his loins and heart, banishing the dark coils trying to grasp him with laughable ease.

"Th-that's..." Michael's words hitched once more, but this time for a very _different_ reason. "...a ve-very _good_ plan..." His hips lurched.

Tali released him, her breath brushing him, a smirk in her voice. "Seems I have the legendary Commander Shepard at my mercy..."

"Th-that's one w-way to...p-put it..." Michael shuddered, hands slowly slipping down to stroke Tali's quills even as he struggled not to simply _grab_ them. _God_...!

Teeth touched him, grazing him. "The _only_ way, _say_ it..."

Michael could resist for but a moment, his toes curling and uncurling as his body tautened like a bowstring. "I'm...I'm yours..."

Silence, teasing, _unbearable_

Then she released him.

"Good enough, now..." Tali didn't get to finish, instead she yelped as Michael finally grabbed a hold of her quills and pulled her up, lips demanding hers even as he pushed her onto her back and rolled atop her.

The galaxy was _them_.

Then, when he pulled back, Tali's voice was a purr, eyes hooded. "Time to get exhausted then, I take it?"

Michael's were serious though, the storm of emotions within him curbing the lust that had taken hold moments ago. He looked into her eyes, past her lust, past all but her. "God, I love you." Tali paused, her voice failing as her lips moved, then her hands slipped unto his shoulders. She swallowed, then blinked.

"I...I love you too."

And then they became one.

8

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8

_Earth_.

Michael couldn't see it, only _sense_ it, a dark dot in the Sol system, but it represented the end of his quest, of his life, of _everything_.

The only other in the cockpit was his pilot, his cap, as usual, askew. He was oddly quiet though, making Michael glance down at him. "You okay?"

Joker jumped in his seat, then shrugged, not looking back. "Me? Yeah, sure, I'm _fine_. I mean, I'm about to fly into the largest battle in all of galactic history, a battle that will _literally_ decide the fate of that galaxy, but other than that I'm right as rain." He fidgeted, a loud puff escaping him as he shot the empty co-pilot seat a glance, voice a mutter. "Can't even have EDI here to give me a kiss for luck..."

Michael nodded, he knew how Joker felt all too well. EDI and Tali had already left with Garrus to board their assigned transport. It had been...hard to see her, _all_ of them, go...not knowing whether he'd see them again. Yet he had said his good byes...and that had to be enough. _Yet it will never __be__ enough_...

He didn't have time to reply though, as EDI's hologram appeared in her regular socket. "That isn't true, Jeff, you've had your good luck kiss, not to mention the steamy-"

"Yeah, okay, good of you to say." Joker hurriedly interrupted. "No need to go into detail, or mention anything more, like..._at_ _all_."

Michael smirked, but wasn't about to make things worse for the pilot, not today. His eyes were fixed on Earth ahead, imagining it with a grim look on his face, but his voice was soft, emotions still running deep within him even as the focus of the Commander closed in around him like armour. "Joker, EDI, it's been an honour knowing you both."

"Erm...okay...way to be depressing..." Joker replied awkwardly, then tilted his head to the side, going quiet.

Michael, a dark pit in his stomach, looked down at the pilot, waiting.

"You know...EDI warned me about the Normandy getting wonky when the Crucible fires and fries her systems on the ships..." _Damn_. "... and given my condition, I'm with Chakwas quite a lot... and you know how women talk." Again, he paused, Michael expected a small wink his way at that, but it didn't come. Instead, the man kept staring ahead, tone awkward. "So, with you having Reaper parts... well... pardon me for asking, but isn't that a tad... bad?"

Michael bit his lower lip, then took a deep breath, forcing a casual tone. "Oh come now, don't get nervous on me now, Joker, you if _anyone_ should know death has no hold over me."

"Yeah." Jeff's laugh was a dry and humourless one. "You know, there's rumours going around the ships, that the Crucible firing will remove all the damage done to Earth. Any shots striking it during the battle, all the ships drawn in by its gravity, all that heat, radiation and eezo poisoning the world..._gone_." He paused, taking a deep breath. "There is no magic though, however much we'd want it." Another pause, longer this time. "Earth will be wiped clean of life and even an atmosphere, nothing but _ruins_ left. And _you_..." He huffed, pausing for good.

"As I said..." Michael replied, taking a deep breath. "...it's been an honour knowing you."

Silence.

"Yeah, whatever..." Joker grunted. Then he sniffed, hand moving up to his face as he bowed his head. "...dammit, got something in my eye."

Michael took a step forward, putting a hand on the man's shoulder, gently squeezing it. "It'll be okay."

"Well yeah, for _you_." Joker sniffled. "I'm the one left with all the paperwork."

A laugh, honest and heartfelt, exploded from Michael.

Then silence descended upon them.

A comfortable, warm, silence.

_Harbinger_..._your_ _time_ _is_ _up_.

Michael could _feel_ it, and smiled.

In the distance, he felt something tugging at his attention though, a _void_...

"Hey, if you want to do that speech thing Hackett asked for, you better do it now..." Joker's voice interrupted Michael's thoughts. "...you have to run for the shuttle after that though, it's time to raise the curtains."

Michael knew the man was right, already he could see the tiniest of grey dots in the distance, Earth coming closer. "Very well, patch me through to the fleet."

"You have your speech then?"

Michael chuckled. "I never plan those, Joker."_ It must come from the heart_.

"Damn, could have fooled me..." Joker replied with a shrug. "...opening channel."

Michael, his humour fading, stared towards Earth, towards the void.

And the void stared back.

"To all friendly forces, this is Shepard." Michael took a deep breath, voice grim. "Brothers..."

"_Shepard_..." It was a whisper, at the edge of his consciousness, yet Michael knew what it heralded. _Harbinger_...

"Sisters..."

"**Shepard**." The voice was a boom in his mind, burning through his skull.

Michael ignored it, eyes narrowing. "We stand at the precipice."

"**Your end is at hand**."

"I will not lie, many of us _will_ die." Michael grimaced. They were not words soldiers wanted to hear, but they were words he owed them. "Maybe even _most_ of us."

"**Your allies will fall**."

"But we're not here for our own sake."

"**Your forces are weak**."

"We do it for our future."

"**As you are**."

"If we fail here, our people will die. Your every friend, everyone you've ever _met_, will die."

"**I have expected you**."

Michael grit his teeth in rage, hands dropping to his sides as he clenched them tight. "Our planets will burn, our cities will crumble, it'll be as if we've never _been_."

"**And you have come**."

Michael found himself leaning forward, growling the words. "But I tell you now...that _won't_ happen."

"**You have delivered your people to us, as we commanded**."

_No, I __will__ not believe that_. "For we _will_ win today, and we _will_ send these Reapers to the void they were born from."

"**Human, you're fumbling in the dark**."

"Never have we been so strong, for we stand together."

"**You've already lost, and you do not even know it**."

_I will no longer heed you, monster_. "The Turians and Salarians stand with the Krogans."

"**Primitives, frail creatures and mindless animals**."

Michael clenched his fists even tighter, fear and anger struggling within him at the way, from unimaginable distances, the Reaper heard him. "The Asari stand with the Terminus."

"**The genetically inferior species and the product of the division and weakness organic life brings**."

"The Quarians fight alongside the Geth."

"**The sickly migrants and the treacherous machines**."

"The Humans stand with the Batarians."

"**The few left to harvest, sent to us by you, and the remnants of a broken species**."

"We stand as one, we fight as one, and we'll _win_ as one."

"**You lead an army of cattle, ripe for the harvest**."

"For there _is_ no other alternative."

"**You are finished**."

Michael glared towards Earth...and a great crimson glow appeared, the Reaper fleet awakening.

_It's so_..._huge_...

The light was even larger than that of the Earth...and growing.

_They're coming for us_...

Standing straight, taking a deep breath, Michael continued. "Today, we'll end this."

With that, he turned and walked away, eyes grim.

"Shepard, out."

8

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being such a bundle of craziness._


	62. Chapter 62

The shuttle was eerily quiet.

Looking left and right, Michael wearily eyed his companions. Liara and James sat on the left side, armoured from head to toe. They were checking their weapons again and again, gazes held low, faces glum and tense with fear and anticipation. On the right, Grunt sat, the Krogan easily taking up as much space as the two others. He did not look nervous like the others, his hands eagerly fingering his Claymore. His face was as grim as that of the others, but it was the grimness tinged with anticipation of the greatest battle he'd ever know, a mood Michael knew all too well.

"**Shepard**..."

Ignoring the voice, Michael rose to his feet, gaze fixed straight ahead as he marched forth, passing his companions and entering the cockpit. Gripping Cortez's backrest he exchanged a grim nod with the pilot before the two looked ahead.

At the coming horde.

The Reapers were but a crimson light in the distance, fewer in numbers than the fleet arrayed before them, yet infinitely more powerful. A dark mass of black metal, of cruelty and power...eager to descend upon their prey. Ahead, another ruby light was coming though, larger, _faster_. The Oculi fighters Hackett had said would come ahead of the fleet were so many they seemed to outnumber the stars...expendable drones designed to snuff out the lives of the few opposing their masters.

"**Come to me, Shepard**..."

Michael offered a grim smile. _I am, but I'm not coming alone_.

All around them, shuttles and ships of various designs were driving forth, ranging from the finest military vessels to barely modified civilian freighters, all brimming with troops. The fastest would deploy the troops of the second wave, the slower, the third. Around them, Turian fighter wings and the bombers of a Volus detachment flew, ready to protect their vulnerable comrades.

Ahead, ten gigantic vessels, all curves and sharp angles, were shooting forth, the Salarian dreadnoughts reminding Michael of some giant – and quite ugly – sea monster. Around them, similar in design, dozens of their Cruisers flew in a loose formation, like baby young to the larger beasts. And around _them_ there were near a hundred – Salarians had always preferred their smaller ships – Frigates of the same design that had helped on the Cerberus base flew, like shoals of fish swimming with the whales.

Those Frigates, as well as those all around the great formation of the gathered fleet, held within them the first wave. They were filled to the brim with Hammerheads, Makos and shuttles, all containing the best of the best, armed to the teeth, men and women who would have to make the breach as the forces made landing.

Or die trying.

Above, the rest of the fleet had fanned out according to Hackett's orders...and Michael felt a strange sense of awe at the sight of so many ships. More than he'd ever seen before, than _anyone_ had seen before. angular Turian and Alliance vessels flew next to smoothly curved Asari vessels, a random plethora of Terminus ships among them as the insect-like vessels of the Geth lead the way. Michael could see many of them, yet _many_ more were nothing but glimmering lights in the distance, resembling stars but for the way they moved.

_We can do this_.

His gaze moved back ahead, to his foe, Michael bared his teeth in a growl.

_We __will__ do this_.

"**And so, you are at an end**."

Cortez's voice was almost lost in the deep growl of Harbinger's voice. "We're within the Reapers' range, sir."

Above their heads, the radio crackled. "This is Hackett, all vessels, begin evasive manoeuvres, adapt thrust to your leading vessels and maintain formation."

Ahead, the red lights of the main Reaper fleet grew...and then crimson beams of death speared their way through the darkness, effortlessly through the swarm of Oculi – if any were destroyed by the salvo, Michael couldn't tell – and towards the allied fleet. The lights were aimed high relative to their shuttle, towards those ships the Reapers could detect. _So they __can't__ detect even the Salarian Dreadnoughts, yet_? _Whew_...

The Oculi were getting _closer_ though, making Michael tense where he stood. Hackett had told him that everything indicated the Oculi to be mere mindless drones, not forwarding any tactical data to the Reapers, but Michael would have preferred to know for _certain_. _Of course, it makes sense, what use do the Reapers have with forwarding intelligence, they who are 'unbeatable'_..._feeling the need for that would be an admittance of weakness_. Even as Michael watched, another salvo of red Reaper fire tore through the darkness of space, and far above them a Cruiser too distant to determine its origin was cracked like an egg, a soundless explosion of blue light following as its Drive Core exploded.

Then the allied fleet responded in kind. Though the Reapers were yet out of range, the Oculi were not... and now got to feel the full fury of the fleet facing them. Though Michael knew the beam of the Reapers were just as fast, what he saw was simply small particles in space still burning from the beam, the shots of the allied fleet _seemed_ faster, impossible to see save the blasts when they found their target.

Blots of yellow began to mix with the ruby red of the Oculi, tiny little dots that was actually blasts that would make the bomb over Hiroshima look like a firecracker. Yet still, they barely seemed to slow, absorbed by the great red light of the Oculi. Doubtlessly, many shots missed the fast and small targets and hurtled on towards the Reapers, but with that distance, the Reapers easily dodged the shots that hurtled on into space, doubtlessly to wreck something in the far future.

The Reapers kept firing, as did the allied fleet, explosions again and again lighting up the closing group of Oculi, and then the Reapers themselves as they too closed within range to be fired upon and the ships changed targets, though none of the latter seem to have been destroyed or even overly bothered by the impacts.

The Allied fleet was not so lucky.

A bronze-coloured Cruiser from the Terminus not too far above them had a beam or energy shoot right through it, its hull splitting apart, nothing but molten metal spilling out of it. Another ship, an Alliance Frigate, was thrown into a spin as the engines on its left were torn off. A great blast of light was all that showed as an Asari Cruiser was annihilated, at the same moment the underside of a Turian ship was torn off, all of its engines shattering like rotten wood even as its body kept floating forward, venting crew and equipment from the hole and into the cold void.

And all of it happened in silence.

Michael shivered, something about that fact..._eerie_. _God, just give me some solid ground under my feet, and an enemy in my sights_...

Above, the radio crackled into life, a Geth's voice. "Hostile fighters in range, Gardian system engaging."

Ahead, the crimson lights of the Oculi grew, and then their lights was joined with a torrent of green and blue lights. Above, below, to the right and left, it was like a tornado of lights had suddenly appeared...and the Oculi flew right into its eye. Red lights replied in kind, the Oculi shooting at the Geth cruisers as they passed, only for many of them to be torn apart by the torrent of Geth Gardian fire. And as Hackett predicted, the Oculi flew where the resistance was least...straight into the centre of the main formation.

And then they were upon them.

The Oculi poured into the allied fleet, they pushed past the first ships, their singular eyes firing red death around them as they split apart, becoming a chaotic buzz of death attacking the much larger ships around them. Michael wasn't sure, but he had the feeling they were specifically targeting the Frigates. _The weaker ones, the ones that could get away from the Reapers_...

Hackett's orders were crisp and calm though, as if they were out on manoeuvre and nothing else. "Geth ships, pull back. All ships, tighten formation and overlap Gardian defences."

It was a lightshow to Michael, red beams crossing with green, blue and even purple, many beams ending with a blast of yellow light as an Oculus was destroyed. Near enough to be spotted by Michael, a Turian Cruiser began listing to the right, its barriers failing and atmosphere venting as Oculi began swarming it, ants tearing down the mighty but wounded lion.

The lion bit back though, a storm of Gardian fire tearing down a dozen Oculi before the ship's crew overloaded her Drive Core, the resulting blast consuming another dozen enemy fighters. Michael found himself flinching back at the sight of the blast so close to them, yet the ship didn't even shake. _Right, no shockwaves in space_... Even as the thought reached him, he saw three Asari frigates shoot past, their fire accurate and devastating, ripping apart the two dozen Oculi remaining from the dramatic end of their Turian ally.

"Sir, the Reapers." Cortez breathed the warning, focusing Michael on what was happening ahead...and felt his breath leave him, as if stolen from him.

He could _see_ them...dark shapes illuminated by their charging weapons, together they resembled a black web, a web carrying spiders with crimson eyes, eyes _fixed_ on their prey.

Again, the Reapers fired, and Michael watched with wide eyes as a beam annihilated three Oculi before smashing straight through one of the Asari Frigates that had just passed above him, its two sisters breaking formation in a hurry as the remains of the first glowed from where the beam had touched them.

Above, a pair of Terminus ships, hybrids of Frigate and Cruiser, exploded as one as several Reapers targeted them, their beams simply _consuming_ the ships, leaving not even a single piece of debris remaining.

"**Shepard, you have failed**." Harbinger's voice was so _close_, so _confident_, so _right_...

Michael gripped Cortez's backrest tightly, knees nearly buckling as despair gripped him. _No_..._no_ _that_ _can't_...

Above, an Alliance Cruiser was split open along its side by a Reaper beam, like a dead animal having its side cut open...and Oculi instantly poured over it, tearing the hole wider and gutting the ship.

..._it can't be_...

Hackett's voice was stern, _unyielding_. "All ships, engage Reaper fleet with impunity. Launch all fighters."

A dozen Turian Dreadnoughts answered his call instantly, firing as one, they struck their chosen target...and the Reaper Dreadnought's kinetic barriers failed as its hull rippled with explosions, making it veer to the right to dodge their fire.

Then Destiny Ascension joined in the torrent of fire...and Michael gasped as a scream of agony echoed within his skull, unlike anything he'd _ever_ heard before. _The Reaper_..._it's_...

He stared, unable to look away, as the Reaper spun, an arm torn off, then another was ripped off as a large piece of its hull was smashed asunder. ..._it's_ _dying_! Straightening, Michael bared his teeth in a mad grin, watching the Reaper try to aim up at its foe with one of its remaining arms, to _fight_. Only for a dozen fighters to fly straight at it, their Thanix cannons were small, yet smashed into the rip in the Reaper Dreadnought's hull and punched a hole straight through it.

It stopped screaming.

_Dead_.

Michael stared at the massive corpse, feeling the silence left behind, the silence of Harbinger...and felt his body nearly _glow_ with new energy.

_Dead_!

Taking a deep breath, he looked up, at the coming Reaper force...and all doubts were swept away.

Y_ou can't fool me, Harbinger, it's time for __you__ to feel fear_!

Hackett's order came an instant later, grim and determined. "Earth task force, deploy, then return on the Reaper's flank. God speed."

Instantly, the Salarian Dreadnoughts, so far silent, opened fire.

A pair of Reaper Destroyers in their path veered away... and then one blew up in a blast of white light as the other simply disintegrated, pieces of it spinning away.

A third Destroyer moved to block as the massive group of Frigates shot forth, but as it charged its eye, the Normandy fired...and the Destroyer was shorn into four pieces, its eye shattered.

A fourth dove down upon the back of the Normandy... and twenty Salarian Frigates opened up on its rear. Their Thanix cannons were smaller than the Normandy's due to the ships' size, but combined they were enough to rip one great hole through it, gutting the Reaper before slipping past it as they pressed their engines to their limits.

Their own shuttle was shooting forward, Cortez looking tense and concentrated as he bent over the controls, as if willing it to fly faster. All around them, other shuttles and ships were also driving forth as fast as they could, bombers and fighters covering them as best they could as Oculi tried to swarm them. They couldn't match the Salarian Frigates clearing their way with a storm of fire, nor was their head start enough to even _compete_ with the Frigates following them, as the smaller ships of the entire fleet dove 'down' to their location before pouring through the hole in the Reaper's formation.

Heading for Earth.

A roar filling Michael's skull made him look up, seeing a Reaper Dreadnought come down upon the stream of ships heading for Earth... only to jerk aside as Destiny Ascension once more proved her mettle, the massive Asari Dreadnought pouring shots into the kinetic barriers of the Reaper, draining them.

And then a swarm of fighters were there, missiles and Thanix cannons both opening up at the joints of the massive Dreadnought, chipping away at it and making it swat at them like a maddened beast. Through the radio, the call was one of a young woman, her tone confident. "Rogue Squadron engaging, drawing off the heat from the task force, tell Cortez he owes me a drink." With that, the fighters began buzzing around the Reaper, yet pulling up ever so slightly, drawing the Dreadnought with them as it – pride wounded – charged after them.

Glancing down, Michael grinned at Cortez's smirk and patted his shoulder. "Take us in, Lieutenant."

"My pleasure."

8

8

8

"My God..."

James' mutter echoed in the silent shuttle, the squad looking at the picture the shuttle's cameras were giving them.

They had broken through the dark clouds filling the sky, noting the way they swirled around the massive shape of the Citadel that seemed so close when viewed from the shuttle... and then finally been allowed to see Earth once more.

Like most cities in what people still living on Earth liked to call the 'western' world, London had seen a boom of development since the discovery of the Prothean archives on Mars. It had grown to become the jewel of Britain... a marvel of beauty created in a mere twenty years as impossibly high skyscrapers had towered above the old city, the new London _literally_ rising above the old.

Yet now, that was gone, the new having fallen, collapsing atop the old, destroying _both_. Here and there, a building still stood, the odd dot of colour in the grey still enduring...yet around them there was nothing but dust and ruins, greyness... and black smoke rising from smouldering fires.

Michael was panning his chosen camera around, tactical data streaming in from another window on the shuttle's display. Ahead, he could see the Citadel, its arms sealed shut, a beam of blue light pouring down from its centre onto the ground below, an empty wasteland shaped like a bowl, as if the Citadel's beam was too great a weight for the planet beneath to carry.

Further out, the ruins began again, jagged pieces of broken walls, collapsed roofs and rubble-strewn streets... but only for two kilometres. There, a wide gap had been made, all buildings levelled, turned to gravel for a kilometre wide band around the Citadel's beam. The plodding turrets that dotted that band were like squat Destroyers, massive guns raised to the skies... and four of them – the ones closest to Michael, were wrecks, collapsed upon themselves as dark smoke rose from the broken hulls. _Anderson, I knew you could do it_. The thought was grim though, for the ground around those turrets was crawling, so many husks moving over them that it seemed a rippling sea when viewed from above.

Then, more ruins, a gauntlet of obstacles and hidden enemies, ready to stop their advance before slowly wearing down the allied army to nothing.

_But that won't happen_.

With that, Michael turned his gaze upon the current site of the battlefield.

They had deployed at Battersea park – as planned – but though it offered open space to deploy the Makos and Hammerheads of the first wave of troops, it wasn't _nearly_ enough. So Michael had ordered for _more_ space to be made... and the Frigates leading the way had done exactly that. Thanix Cannons and Javelin missiles having not simply shattered the ruins of the target area, but turned them into _dust_, creating a vast plain for their forces. It had required minute planning and timing, but it had been done.

And now, that plain was the site of furious fighting.

Makos and Hammerheads had been deployed, the former creating a loose cordon in a circle, like a wagon fort of ancient times, the later ever moving left and right, dodging incoming enemy fire. Shuttles were landing among them, the special forces within pouring out to join those already deploying with the Makos and Hammerheads and who now had dug in within the dust and between Makos.

Against them, a rush of monsters came, every husk the Reapers had so far created coming at the allied force in their thousands.

On and on they came.

And on and on they died.

Machine gun fire from the Mako's joined that of Revenants and Typhoons in streaming in all directions, their tracers illuminating the dust thrown up by the battle. Rockets, fired by soldiers and Hammerheads alike, pounded the ruins around them, destroying whole clusters of enemies before they could even break cover. Grenades shot from Falcons, thrown or fired from heavier Grenade launchers and Makos rained down on those that did, shredding their targets. Sniper rifles were firing in great volleys, tearing down whole groups of Ravagers in the ruins beyond. Purple biotics sent enemies airborne or ripped them apart where they stood.

And as Michael watched, the battlefield came aglow with orange light as four shots from Cains were released at once in all directions, the mushroom clouds consuming entire blocks of the ruins hiding their enemies.

_This is it_.

Michael turned his head towards the cockpit. "Cortez, bring us down! I want the second wave deploying _now_!" He didn't wait for the affirmative, instead he turned to the radio in his helmet, quickly tuning to the right frequency. "Sidonis, report."

"Checkpoint Alpha secure with minor casualties, enemy pressure is easing off." It didn't look like that from the air, but Michael believed the Turian, the Reapers had _millions_ of husks, after all. _They're gathering their strength then, preparing to counter-attack in one grand strike_. "All forces ready to move."

"Right, mount up and proceed to Checkpoint Bravo. Jondum Bau, take your troops onto their Hammerheads and circle over to Checkpoint Delta, avoid all engagements." The Turian's and Salarian's affirmative was nearly lost to Michael as he felt the shuttle shudder, setting down. "All fighters, I want a no-fly zone over Checkpoint Alpha, no Dragons or Oculi must hamper the deployment. Volus bombers..."_ Assist Sidonis close to where the Citadel denies them flight, softening up their target, or weakening the enemy harrying our rear so we can continue marching without the bigger waves being delayed_...? Michael threw the tactical data a glance."...remain with fighters, hit any targets moving south of Checkpoint Alpha." A Volus breathed a yes that Michael barely heard as the shuttle opened.

_Oh_... _damn_.

Jumping down, Michael stared around him with wonder.

_This is_... _Earth_? To Michael, it looked like any of the hundreds of battlefields he'd seen...on _dead_ _planets_.

Above, the sky was steel grey, the solid cover of clouds rumbling, flashes of white light appearing within them, as if raging at the sight of the tiny creatures beneath them. As for the ground... the battle had thrown up a fine grey dust, so thick and fine that it resembled a mist, making the ruins in the distance nothing but intangible shapes that might as well have been cliffs.

Michael's legs were carrying him forward though, the part of him marvelling over his surroundings pushed into a small corner of his mind as his instincts drove him to take stock of the situation.

Makos were being mounted by shouting soldiers, some already driving off with their cargo, heading north. Hammerheads were also being mounted, the graceful vehicles heading east at full speed. And as those vehicles left, others landed, dozens upon dozens of shuttles landing, disgorging hordes of shouting humans and roaring Krogan. They had less powerful guns than those they were replacing in holding the landing site, but there were _many_ of them.

Taking point, Michael rushed over into a crevice made from a landing Mako that had driven off, his Revenant slipping into his hands in a single movement. Then he was kneeling in the modest cover, Revenant spitting shots at the dark shapes ahead, the bullets tearing through husks as they appeared, more dying as James' Falcon and Liara's biotics added to the carnage. Grunt held his fire though, the Claymore in his hands moving left and right as the Krogan remained surprisingly disciplined, waiting for a more threatening target. Michael's attention was mostly on the tactical map in his helmet though, as well as his radio. "Victus, are your forces still en route?"

"Affirmative, my troops are itching for a fight."

"They'll get it." Michael grunted, tearing the head off a husk with a salvo from his rifle. He switched frequency, a dark pit in his stomach even as his shots ripped two husks apart, a third losing its legs to the explosion of James' grenade. "Anderson, you there?"

Silence.

Then a cough.

"Yeah, I'm here." The man coughed again, his voice a rasping gasp for breath, the voice of a man running, and barely keeping up. "We gave them hell, son...such hell..."

Michael grimaced even as he moved to reload. In the brief lull of his fire, a husk managed to dodge James' grenade and Liara's Phalanx's fire, only for Grunt to step forth, grab it by the neck and throw it to the floor before crudely stomping his foot through its skull with a little laugh. "You're moving through the tunnels then?"

"Yeah..." Anderson gasped, a groan of pain escaping him. "...what few are left of us..." A grunt. "...Michael, we have _millions_ of them following us, there's no point..."

"We'll get you out." Michael growled, though his words lacked conviction. _Or draw the Reapers into a pointless battle underground_..._damn my mind_...

If Anderson sensed his hesitation or his dark thought, Michael couldn't hear it. "Yeah...okay..."

"I need to keep going here, but I'll get back to you." Michael shifted frequencies, Revenant once more spitting death. The shots raked a massive Brute, making it roar in rage and charge forth... only to stumble as James caught it in the face with a grenade and Liara struck it with a ball of warping energy, bleeding the creature as its molecules struggled to retain their connections. With a roar, Grunt used the brief pause in the Brute's steps to move forth and blow its head off with a shot from his Claymore. _Need to send enough to actually make a difference, yet expendable_..._and I already know who that is_. "Vido, take your Blue Suns and the Blood Pack and head for the tunnels I've marked out, recover Anderson and his group, then retreat to your extraction point."

"Yeah, yeah, I know the plan." The man growled back, as if Michael had somehow insulted him. _Should have let Zaeed shoot you_..._prick_. "First time back on Earth and you send me to the sewers..."

"Whatever, just do it." Michael snapped, bullets tearing through hordes of husks as he found a stream of Avenger fire join his as a full fifty Alliance soldier came running to join him in his little cover, their concentration so great they barely even threw the celebrity a glance. A celebrity checking his own data more than actually watching where he was shooting "Victus, my troops are sixty percent deployed already, land yours as soon as possible."

"Don't worry, Shepard, we're on schedule." The Turian replied, sounding calm.

"I know." Michael threw a glance at the distant Citadel, bolts of lightning raking its hull as the clouds surrounding it swirled as if in a cauldron, at the hordes of dark shapes coming from the dust to throw themselves at the guns of their foes...and found himself take a deep breath.

_But for how long_?

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being such a badass_.


	63. Chapter 63

Underneath him the ground shook, dust blowing hard against his back.

Michael turned just in time to see the civilian freighter land, its front already opening as Turian soldiers spilled out, many more joining them as other transports landed, only to take off the moment they'd emptied their cargo to make room for yet more ships. _So far, so good_. In the distance, a landed transport was about to take off, only for it to explode in a massive fireball that illuminated the soldiers running from it as Ravager artillery hidden in the ruins ripped through its armour. _Sort of_...

As Michael watched, a Grizzly drove out from the hold of the nearest transport. Despite the extensive modifications to it, the hull was largely the same, an ugly rectangular box with threads attached to a frontal cockpit resembling the snout of an alligator. Yet the turret atop the box was different. The turret itself was a mass of blue cylinders glowing with energy; they had tried to keep the entire generator for the gun within the hull, but it had proven impractical. The barrel of the cannon was a greyish tube with a dizzying number of black wrapped around it to the point that one could barely see the barrel itself.

The hull was painted bright red, a shiny gloss nearly making it glow as it reflected the lights of far off explosions. Michael found its change from the usual grey both perplexing and amazing. The tanks had been gathered from all across Alliance territory, from colonies where they had been used by various garrisons, many just collecting dust. People had known what they were to be used for, had _known_ what was at stake... and they had responded in the oddest of ways.

So some tanks came to the Alliance covered in encouraging messages, others painted to resemble great beasts, yet more coloured in striking colours... and the Turian soldiers charged with guarding them had demanded that those colours stayed _on_. Each troop assigned to a tank had taken pride in its design, claimed it as _theirs_... so now, atop each tank, a banner of a Turian regiment flew.

Michael wasn't sure the human colonists, many who lived in human-only worlds, had anticipated _that_... but it was interesting to see. _First Contact War will be nothing but a memory after this, I think_...

Michael smiled... and then the smile died as the red tank lurched to the side, armour singed by a near miss from a Ravager. "Snipers, get a bead on that creature! I want the forward scouts to dig in and coordinate with Turian officers for fire-support! Second wave, we will move on momentarily!" Michael snapped the words into his radio, the howl of the transport behind him taking of making him shout.

"Good." Grunt plodded past him, the Krogan already wearing the blue blood of a crushed Marauder like war-paint as he shook off the claw of a husk lodged into his shoulder-plate. "I'm bored with these easy pickings."

"Yeah, let's go and bring the fight to _them_." James growled, the man rising as he reloaded his smoking Falcon, face grim. "I haven't nearly returned the favour for Earth..."

"I have the feeling you will get the opportunity." Liara muttered, the Asari's eyes wide as she stared into the mist of dust ahead as a line of Human and Krogan soldiers kept up a fusillade of fire, tearing apart the dark shapes that just _kept_ coming at them. "There's no end to them..."

_And this is only them keeping us busy while larger forces gather_. Michael took a step back, out of the line of soldiers as he slapped another soldier on the shoulder, making the wide-eyed man take his place while Michael started to march away from the outskirts of their temporary defensive circle. His hand moved to his helmet, head bowed low as with a frown he watched the casualty numbers within its internal display._ Better hear it from the source_. "Sidonis, report."

A loud crackle, than the Turian's voice found his ear. "I've lost twenty percent of my forces, most during the approach to the ruins. Jacob Taylor is down, his Mako took an entire barrage of Ravager fire to save the rest of his column." Michael grimaced, a stab of ice in his heart. _Damn, I brought him here, I convinced him, I ordered him to his death_... Michael looked around himself, heart heavy, yet calm. _As I will have with more of us before this ends_. "Captain Riley is now second in command and I've managed to-"

A shriek of static made Michael wince and pull his head back, as if able to retreat from his helmet. "Sidonis, report!"

Silence.

"_Report_!"

Then a new voice called back, as if from a great distance. "Captain Riley here, we've lost Sidonis and many of our troops are dying as we speak! Enemy is spearheading a counter-attack with Banshees and artillery and we're being pushed back from our grip on the edge of the ruins!"

Michael, suddenly walking briskly north, felt his muscles tense. "Can you hold?"

"I've set up multiple lanes of crossfire with heavy weapons and have assigned troops to deal with the Banshees. We're holding and keeping Checkpoint Bravo clear for reinforcement from your wave, but we can't keep it up for long if they push any harder."

"Right." Michael grunted. "Victus, are your troops ready to defend the Checkpoint Alpha until all forces have landed? Victus?"

"He's a tad busy, Michael, can I take a message?" Garrus' voice crackled through the radio. Turning his head, Michael could see the blue armour of his friend, even the grin on the Turian's face, but the explosions and gunfire made it impossible to hear his friend through anything but the radio. "But yes, sure, you guys go before you get in the way of the _true_ professionals."

"Just try to keep up." Michael chuckled back, waved at the Turian, then turned back to the north, breaking into a jog as he switched frequency. "All squad leaders, form up and begin your advance upon Checkpoint Bravo, double time."

Everywhere, dark shapes of Humans and Krogans rose from their cover like monsters springing from their graves. All of them were swathed in the mist of dust, obscure shadows rather than soldiers... and moving north, an army of ghosts, letting Turian soldiers run to take their place in their now empty graves.

Then, suddenly, they were free of the dust.

Blinking, Michael kept jogging, leading by example as others stumbled or slowed down to look around themselves, only now realising the dust thrown up by the initial bombardment that had created their deployment zone was concentrated around it. Ahead, the ground was more uneven, sloping downward as the ground was littered with rubble. But also garbage, opened tins of food, plastic bags, all covered in greyish sludge or poking out from piles of filth.

With a start, Michael realised they were running into the Thames. He'd planned it, knew they would march across it...yet the reality still came as a shock. Gone was its water, the Reapers having drained it for whatever purpose they might have in store for it, instead there was only centuries old garbage and the rubble of broken bridges littering its bottom.

That, and the dead and dying.

The first wave had obviously hit heavy resistance in their bid for a grip on the cityscape ahead, their attempt to smash open a gap in the fortified enemy troops leaving scores of dead along the Thames' floor. Dozens of Makos were burning, others nothing but gutted wrecks, dead and wounded soldiers littering the area around each vehicle. Some reached for a helping hand from the troops now following in the wake of their comrades, others moaned as medics bent down to help them back into fighting shape...and some simply waved aside the helping hands and the care of medics, knowing their injuries were too severe to help, and that none could be spared to save them. _Heroes_.

A soldier, sitting with his back against the remains of his burning Mako – both legs shredded pieces of bone and gore – hefted his Typhoon in his blood-soaked arms, face grim as he readied himself to be nothing but a speed bump for any pursuing Husks. He spotted Michael, offered a curt nod, and then turned his gaze to the south, face grim.

And Michael kept running, unable to stop, unable to offer even the smallest word of comfort.

Then again, the man didn't look like he needed it. _Probably Earthborn, fighting for his home_... Michael smiled, though it was a sad smile. He could no longer relate to such a cause, he couldn't fight for a planet, a group or even a race. He was fighting for _people_, those he knew, those he would never know, for their future...for a future _without_ the Reapers. _Does that make me noble_..._or_ _bloodthirsty_?

Michael knew the truth in his heart, and he didn't like it.

Ahead, flashes of light and plumes of smoke rose as the ruins towering over the dried river saw heavy fighting between the special forces and the Reaper troops that were slowly gaining the upper hand.

Ruins which now thirty thousand Humans and Krogan charged up at, a stream of armour, flesh, bone and determination pouring into the ruins, guns firing the moment they found a target. Michael, sensing Grunt's impatience as the Krogan rumbled forth next to him, also began running, growling into the radio. "Riley, on me." He gestured forward and right with his head. "Grunt, take a Krogan and Human company and widen our battle-line eastward by half a click, clear the path to Buckingham Palace Road." The Krogan merely chuckled, veering off to the right. "James, have our infantry reinforce the front, nothing breaks our ranks."

"Right." The Marine rushed past, the nervousness in his voice at least not showing in the way he moved as he ran to lead the new defensive line as special forces were reinforced by more and more soldiers.

As he reached the edge of the ruins, Michael came to a stop, sensing Liara tense as the remains of a nearby tower collapsed under a hail of Ravager blasts. A screaming woman tumbled along with the rubble in a shower of blood before being speared by a dozen metal rails sticking out from a fallen wall with crunch that abruptly ended her scream.

Above, the sky rumbled.

He looked back, watching more and more troops run up in endless lines. Between them, Tomkahs were driving up, having landed with the third wave. They were driving forth to catch up with the Humans and Krogans, their interior filled with Eclipse mechs. They weren't exactly the highest quality Tomkahs, Wreav had clearly borrowed for Michael the worst of the lot, but there was little Michael could do about now.

When he turned back to the battle ahead, Captain Riley had nearly reached him, her breaths coming out in puffs as she stopped her running. Her red armour was _glowing_, a whiff of smoke rising from it after she had come running out of a fire, yet to her credit, she ignored that as she straightened and saluted. "Sir, reporting, as ordered." There was a slight tremble in her voice, if it was due to fear or adrenaline, Michael couldn't tell.

"What's the state of your troops, Captain?" Michael asked, his words nearly lost as the sky above roared, as if giants were clashing within the clouds. Looking up, he stared at the sight of a spinning Frigate hurtling through the clouds far in the distance, its engines on fire and pieces of it being peeled off by the atmosphere before with a resounding boom it crashed far to the east.

"Uh..." The woman hesitated, she too staring at the mushroom cloud now rising from the place of impact, a blast that would no doubt flatten several city blocks and poison what few plants remained within most of England. "...we've lost two Commanders and thirty-seven percent of our troops. The Makos in particular took a pounding getting us in here, they had a well-prepared battle-line at the edge of the Thames." _Dammit_..._maybe I should have sent those bombers ahead instead of making Victus' job easier_...? "Heavy weapons are practically empty and most troops sport minor injuries... another charge like that and nothing will remain of them."

"Well that settles it then." Michael nodded with an internal sigh. "Form your troops up with mine, we'll keep them in the rear for a while to rest up as best they can." He grimaced, glancing over to the battle ahead, trigger-finger itching, though he controlled himself. He had a more important job right now.

A man was shrieking in agony in the distance, men and women around him cursing and shouting for a medic, only for a loud explosion to silence them all.

"What's the opposition like?"

Riley shrugged. "After that initial banshee-lead charge they've been keeping back, pounding us with Ravagers and Cannibals, it's a battle of attrition where they're just feeding meat to the slaughter."

_Chipping away at our strength_... Michael frowned, bowing his head as his hand reached for his helmet. "Grunt, report, what's the situation and opposition?"

"We've widened the line as ordered and cleared the approach to that Buck road or whatever you called it. It's like fighting bloody Turians, just Marauders and Ravagers everywhere, sniping at us like cowards." _Again, chipping away at us_..._but where's all the husks_? _They should have billions of them_... "Heh, your Human Marines aren't too shabby, Shepard, at least they shoot straighter than half the whelps I have at my command."

James' voice cut in, amused. "Wow, so generous with praise...you're just a big softie, aren't you?"

"Who're you calling soft!?"

"Okay, okay, focus people." Michael snapped at them. _I hope Victus' command is going better_. "We'll advance for Buckingham Palace Road immediately. James, begin peeling off infantry from the western flank to begin with and have them move toward Grunt's position. Grunt, I want Makos and Tomkahs in a column inter-spaced with infantry. We're going to advance up the road and _nothing_ must stop us, suppress and neutralize as much enemy forces as you can, but we do _not_ slow down." _We must __not__ do what Harbinger wants us to do_...

Two gruff affirmatives shot through the radio, one a little more nervous than the other.

"Riley, go help James." Michael patted the soldier on the shoulder before turning away from her salute, already marching east as his radio beeped, already calling out for another issue. He changed frequencies with a worried pit in his stomach. "Shepard here, report."

Far in the distance, there was a roar, Michael catching sight of a Krogan company running towards a wide road covered in rubble, their feet stomping down a line of Marauders hiding behind a low wall even as their firing guns tore into a second line. Behind them, a Mako was rolling up, cannon blowing up a small building on the right of the road as Alliance soldiers huddled up behind it while taking shots at any enemies on the roofs on either side of the road. At the back, Grunt stood, shouting orders and waving people on... and looking ever so grumpy about it.

Behind him, the quiet Liara tensed with the worry Michael felt as the radio crackled, unable to reach the caller.

Then, a grunt shot through it, Vido's voice strained. "For fuck's sake, Shepard, there's nothing to save in these tunnels! If you don't count the _millions_ of Husks coming at us!"

_No_...

Michael came to a stop, Liara's hand finding his shoulder even before he'd realised he'd stopped walking. _I_..._waited too long to counter-attack. David, __everyone__ left on Earth_... Michael thought he'd been ready for that, yet it didn't feel like it, rather, it was like a punch in the gut. _I prepared for too long, was too slow_.

His voice was low. "You...sure? They're all gone...?"

"How should _I_ know!?" Vido snapped, not caring about the pain in Michael's voice. "All I know is that we went here to meet up with these people and instead got an _army_ of Husks at our throats! There's no end to them! Unless someone _didn't_ take the tunnels, they're all dead!"

Liara squeezed his shoulders... and Michael squared them, taking a deep breath. _He knew it would happen, I knew it...now do what must be done, make something out of the situation, win_.

A sigh._ I told him I'd get him out_...

A deep breath._ You knew you couldn't keep that promise, now do what you must_. "Vido, I need you to retreat _deeper_ into the tunnels, draw the Husks along with you."

"What!? Are you _crazy_!?" The man shouted, voice nearly drowned out by a chorus of Husks crying out in their raspy voices. "Shit, here comes another wave, get those flamers reloaded, God dammit!" Then, a growl escaped the man. "You send more troops down here this _instant_, Shepard!"

"I will." Michael calmly retorted. "So retreat deeper in and defend yourself as best you can, that way the reinforcement will hit the Husks from behind and slaughter them. _Now_ you understand?"

"Fine." The man snapped back, then grumbled. "This better work though, or I'll have my revenge..."

_Not that that will be an issue_. Michael snorted as he changed frequency, making sure that Vido wouldn't hear. "Tali, you copy?"

"Copy, Michael." Tali replied instantly, sounding almost happy. "I'm _so_ glad you're okay..." Then an awkward cough, and Michael grinned as he sensed the Quarian shooting nearby people embarrassed glances. "...I mean, what do you need?"

"You have demolition teams among your engineers, right?" It was a hypothetical question, Michael had gone through the rosters of every part of the ground force and divided them up with their respective representatives himself. "I want them to destroy all exits to the underground tunnels in their paths, be it sewer or the Underground train tunnels, leave no exit usable for them to come up from under our feet."

At the other end, there was a silence as Tali let the words sink in. Then the sound of her swallowing. "I...I see..." Hesitation, it was thick in her voice. "Michael...I'm so sorry."

"Yeah..." Michael replied, shoulders slumping for but a moment. _My mentor, my ally for so long_... _and in his own right_... _my friend, who thought of me as a son_... _gone_. He grimaced, the dark pit in his stomach since Vido's call growing. _And it's not nearly over, Tali_... _I_... _I_ _don't_ _want_ _you_ _to_... With a force of will, he pushed the thought aside, voice a weary sigh. "... yeah... Shepard out."

With that, he cut the channel and marched forth, forcing himself to leave Liara's comforting touch and Tali's words behind, terrified of what grief there was to face ahead.

Yet he marched forward anyway.

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for obeying the stick._


	64. Chapter 64

_Well_..._this is going well_.

The pleasure of success was somewhat nulled by the knowledge of what victory would mean, not to mention a dark feeling of foreboding of what was to come. _Yeah, it was easy in the beginning on the Collector base too_.

His weapon jerked against his shoulder, and the Brute's head in his scope was blown apart, the monster falling off the boulder it head jumped upon and crushing two Cannibals under its weight before they had even registered the danger they were in.

Glancing over his scope, Garrus let his visor zoom in on its own, getting a view of the unfolding battlefield.

It was no surprise the battle was going well so far. With Michael's forces pushing north, the only real problem was the south, east and west, all directions from where the Reapers were so far simply throwing in troops as soon as they reached Checkpoint Alpha. And with them coming in piecemeal, the Turian lines, chequered with smaller Geth and Quarian detachments, were putting them down with the efficiency of troops on a firing range.

Of course, that was mostly because not many enemies even _reached_ the range of the small arms fire.

Even as Garrus watched, Grizzlies, already moving north, had their turrets facing the other direction as EDI coordinated their vicious suppressive fire with the air forces giving targeting information. Their Thanix cannons were of course smaller than anything built on a ship, but they _looked_ far larger when viewing their firing in person from just a few feet away. Solid beams of blue light that in reality transferred molten metal towards their target at a fraction under the speed of light, shot out again and again, and though the beams did less radial destruction than a proper cannon firing explosive shells, EDI was making the turrets turn as they fired, making the shots scythe through Reaper ranks and distant ruins in equal measure.

Not only that, but the Volus bombers were proving invaluable as they lazily circled the landed infantry like vultures, their immense payloads slowly being expended as they blew apart any large group of husks with impunity. And they weren't the only ones. Their fighter escort was endlessly flying forth to gun down Dragons before the flying husks could even reach the landing site with whatever cargo they carried, and even the shuttles had stayed after dropping off the troops, the thousands of boxy vessels flying low across the battlefield, their hull-mounted cannons pounding anything in sight.

_But once we cross the Thames, when the interference stops them from giving air-support_... _what then_? Garrus already knew the answer, the forces were moving out, some having already reached the dried-up river, the rearguard almost having left the landing site... and already there were reports of increased pressure from the east and west as Reaper forces advanced out of reach from the air forces. _It's going to get worse_... _though that's what we Turians are trained for_. Garrus grimaced, turning his head towards the one in command of their engineering teams that was anything _but_ a Turian, spotting her not too far away, crouched down the side of a red Grizzly who had lost a large part of its plating on the right side. The Quarian was fast at work, welding on a crude piece of grey steel that Garrus could _swear_ had belonged to a dead Brute a while ago. _Quarians, they really __do__ use whatever's at hand_...

Rising from his crouch, Garrus let himself sport a cocky grin as he swaggered down the line of soldiers, letting them see his calm even as he drew up his Black Widow, took aim, and blew the knee off a Marauder appearing in his scope. _Not a clean kill, but I bet it looked cool... got to keep morale up while I still can_... Somewhere down the back, some female Turian whistled in appreciation, accompanied by a few chuckles, making Garrus' cocky grin a little bit more natural as he approached the muttering Quarian. "Hey, Tali, is this hunk ready to move again?"

Grumbling something under her breath, the Quarian kicked the lowest part of the metal plate, her armoured boot bending it inwards. "There!" The growl was as grim as it was victorious, the Quarian rising while dusting her hands off on her thighs. "Sure, not the best repair-job I've ever done, but given the time-constraints and lack of resources, you'll just have to live with it." She banged a fist against the new 'armour' of the tank, and a growl rose from it as the engine went online before it rumbled on. "What do you need?"

Garrus cocked his head to the side, sensing an odd tension in Tali's voice. "You okay?"

Tali turned, looking at Garrus even as she lowered her head. "Anderson's dead..."

_And Sidonis, and Jacob_. Garrus sighed, as a Turian, he knew more than most races that sacrifices would have to be made, and all their current losses had died well, what more could one ask for? _I knew sparing Sidonis was the right call... he did good_. Yet he understood what Tali meant, all too well. "Michael probably knew it would happen, he was ready for it."

"He's hurting though... and that just means... if he's hurt by that... what I'll..." Tali shook her head, grunting as she straightened. "Never mind, we don't have time for this."

Garrus wanted to comfort her, to talk about it...yet he knew she was right. "Okay, you go forward and check on the status of your demolition teams, I'll supervise the withdrawal here." _Man, Michael, that was a harsh order... though it makes sense, dammit_... _wow, sometimes I hate my job_.

"Right." The Quarian quickly nodded her assent, taking a deep breath, as if ready to say something more... only to nod again and begin jogging north.

Garrus stared after her for a moment, frowning in sympathy... then he shook it off, knowing there would be plenty of time for that later, or _none_, and in whichever case, the time was not now. Instead he put a finger to his visor, calling local command. "Victus, I hate to be a bother, but are our forces moving into the ruins any time soon or should I set a camp-fire here?"

A chuckle greeted him. "Are you being funny, Vakarian? You've been around humans for too long." A boom rattled Garrus' ears, followed by the shattering of glass and the shrieking of a Quarian woman in agony. "Sure, you move out, just follow the big blue lights. Actually, move out quickly, we're running into some crowded areas and I could use your expertise in urban combat." A snort. "Get the crossfire _just_ right, you know."

"Of course, I love prettying up your gun-fire." Garrus chuckled back with more humour than he felt. _Spirits, that shriek could be Tali's soon enough_... With that encouraging thought, Garrus turned towards his line of troops, a wave of his hand sending the last Geth detachment along with their Quarian allies running north even as he raised his voice. "_First company_!"

Men and women turned their heads, some to look at him, others to stare at their reclaimed banner, fluttering around above their fortified position. Many took the moment to reload their weapons as they listened, some to check their shields, others to mutter prayers as they threw the sky of the dying planet frightened glances.

"Turians don't retreat!" It was the words he'd heard from every drill-sergeant he'd ever listened to, as had the others, but those familiar words were the _truth_, truth and calming. "Neither are we fools!" He pressed his Black Widow back to his shoulder, taking aim... and a Husk's head in the far distance exploded like a Varren's eye. "We fall back like we always do! One step forward, two steps back! We keep firing! We look them in the eye! We show them our faces, and then their own beating hearts!"_ Not original, but it works_. The others were grinning, Garrus took it as a good sign and growled his next order with a smirk. "Move out!"

As one, the soldiers rose to their feet, eyes south, walking north, their voices calm, chanting.

"The first! The first! The first!"

8

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_Fuck_! _Fuck_! _Fuck_!

He was running, something he hadn't felt in a long time gripping his heart as his feet pounded through ankle-deep water that had filled the subway tunnel through some leaking pipe.

Fear.

Vido _hated_ fear. It was why he'd learned to shoot, it was why he'd started a gang, it was why he'd shot Zaeed, it was why he killed and maimed and commanded, it was why he ruled with an iron fist!

He had been a king in Omega! He had been the leader of its greatest gang! He'd hurt so many! Watched the fear in their eyes! And when he'd seen that fear..._he'd_ been the one in control, the one _without_ fear! It had been euphoria! Who cared about the money when you had the power!? Who cared about friends and family when you were _fearless_!?

Yet now he felt it again, tightening in his gut. The flamethrower in his hands was heavy, yet this time there was no sense of power with it, no feeling of superiority. It might as well have been a dead weight in his hands against the evil at his heels.

He tried to suppress the fear, but there was no way he _could_, not with the screaming echoing through the tunnel, the screeches and gunfire, loud and incessant.

He did his best though, filling his mind with anger, with thoughts of _revenge_.

_Does Shepard think I'm stupid_? _I won't go __deeper__ into hell_!_ I can smell a double-cross when I hear it_! _I fucking __invented__ them_! _And what if he wasn't talking out of his ass_!? _Am I to go down and __hope__ he reaches us in time_!? _No, screw this, I'm taking my ass out of here with what little I have left and rebuilding_! _Who needs Omega or Aria and her bullshit or anything of this!? The Terminus is big and after this lots of those warlords will be dead, so I'm going to grab a slice for myself_! _I've done enough here already_!

He hadn't completely disobeyed Shepard though, he knew the value of a good distraction, of _bait_. So he _had_ sent the majority of his remaining forces deeper into the tunnels, a hurried excuse enough to take himself and some good soldiers and run back the way they'd come from, to _freedom_.

Of course, that was, _if_ they'd taken the right way.

_Should it take this long_? _I don't remember it taking this long_! _Maybe_..._maybe I __should__ have taken a left before_?_ God, I can't remember_! _It all looks the same_!

It was all dark halls, the lamps lining the walls long dead, the long streams that of the helmets and guns of him and his men the only source of light, dancing across the splashing water around them.

Gasping for breath, Vido grunted as a Vorcha to his left bumped into him, his glare lost in the darkness. He opted to shove the creature back, making it hiss in barely contained bloodlust. _Fucking_ _animal_...

"FUCK!" The man at the front came to a sudden halt, his blue armour drenched in the orange blood of a Krogan. Raising his rifle, he aimed it forward, its light illuminating a dark pile of boulders where the tunnel should continue. Vido came to a stop with all the others, eyes widening at the sight. _Oh no_... "We're screwed man! We're _screwed_!"

_God damn Shepard_! _You evil son of a bitch_!

"We're so dead!"

Marching forward, Vido found his free hand closing into a fist even as the sound of his feet in the water made the soldier turn... only to drop into the water with a loud splash as Vido's fist caught his jaw. "Shut the hell up! Or I'll have a Krogan screw you and see how much _that'll_ make you squeal!" For a moment, there was defiance in the other man's eyes... and Vido glared down at him, hand tightening on his flamer... and then the man looked away, fear melting away what backbone he had. "Good!" He turned, glaring at his troops, no more than two dozen. _Fuck_... "Now get some explosives set up! We'll carve our way out of here!"

One of his Turian soldiers cocked his head to the side, the glowing visor of his helmet flickering on and off, illuminating its cracked side. His voice was hesitant. "Sir, I don't think explosives will be enough to-"

Terrified, Vido marched forth, grabbing the collar of the Turian's armour and hauling him towards the collapse, roaring his order. "_Explosives_! Set them up! _Now_!"

"Y-yes sir..." The Turian scrambled for his pack, moving towards the boulders as the Human soaked in the water got to his feet and turned to help.

Vido, crossing his arms in front of his chest, glared at them, willing them to move faster as he bit his lip.

_Hurry up, hurry up_..._God dammit, I'm not dying on this piece of shit of a planet_!

Behind him, there was a clattering sound.

_Shit_! Vido whirled about, eyes wide, glad for the darkness concealing his panic from the others as he marched to the front of the group, levelling his flamer. His voice shook, but he concealed the fear with barking it out. "Alright men! We hold what we got! Give them time to set up the explosives!" He glanced back, seeing the two men working by the boulders turn to stare over at the other side. "Get back to work, you two!"

He turned back to the front.

And watched in horror as a Husk, as if having all the time in the world, rose from the water, skeletal face grinning at him as water poured from its puckered body.

The boom of a shotgun sent it reeling back, left arm shorn off at the elbow.

Then another boom, followed by a torrent of rifle fire, tore into it, reducing the creature – still grinning at them – into pieces.

More came, six of them, hissing and growling as they ran forward... and the tunnel lit up with gunfire, two of the creatures simply exploding, three more falling two steps later. The last lunged for Vido... and another man carrying a flamethrower let loose, the flames sending the creature tumbling back with a screech echoing through the tunnel as its body was consumed in mere moments.

More came though, and _more_.

Firing, Vido growled in defiance born out of desperation, watching two Husks turn to ash under his fire, their crumbling bodies tumbling into the water as others fell down beside them. Unable to take cover, funnelled into such a narrow space, there was nothing for the Husks to do but throw themselves into the teeth of fire...yet on they came, heedless of their losses... and coming closer with each one fallen.

The Vorcha in the group finally lost it. Roaring in anger it leapt forward, bloodlust driving it face first into a Husk, bowling the monster over, stomping down on it even as it tore the head off a second with its bare hands. Then it leapt at a third... and right into the line of fire of the other flamethrower.

Screeching in agony, its right arm suddenly in flames, the Vorcha tumbled back towards them, arm flailing as it moved towards Vido.

_Hell no_.

He turned his flamethrower...and the Vorcha cried out as the flames consumed it and knocked it back, its burning body crashing into a Husk and setting them both aflame before they fell into the water together.

_Fuck_!

As one, the group began to inch back, what little defiance desperation was giving them slowly failing as mindless panic took hold as more and more of the beasts came for them.

Vido glanced back, at the two working their explosives. The fear was clear in his voice this time, yet he didn't care. "Work faster!"

He turned back, moving his arms to reload.

Pain!

He saw his weapon falling out of his hands, saw himself flying... before the flashing light of his shields failing blinded him. He heard his armour crack, his ribs breaking... before his head hit the boulders, leaving him deaf for but a loud ringing.

For a moment, darkness took him.

Then, he blinked, vision blurry, yet sharpening in time to see the Turian working on the explosives be shorn in two as an orb of dark blue light struck him. The Human assisting him was kneeling next to Vido, screaming something into his face... and then his head was bashed against the boulders, crushed into a paste of blood and bone under a massive foot.

Long and spindly fingers gripped his shoulder, almost gentle as they held on tight and effortlessly lifted him off the ground, up until his head nearly reached the ceiling.

The Banshee smiled up at him.

Vido tried to spit in its face, to gasp out some word of defiance.

But his throat was dry, his mind full of pain and fear.

_Damn_ _you_...

A crunch... and Vido looked down, watching the Banshee's arm deep in his stomach with numb detachment, blood pouring down her limb, down his legs... _his_ blood.

..._Shepard_...

Darkness took him.

8

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It had started to rain.

A cold, drizzling rain that stung the skin and hissed as it struck smoking weapons held by panting soldiers.

_Twenty percent of all Human and Krogan forces, dead_. The death toll had been high, higher than Michael would have liked it. Going down Buckingham Palace road had proven more dangerous than anticipated. The Reapers had _not_ simply thrown themselves at the soldiers in one great horde, in fact, not a single Brute or Husk had faced them. All there had been were endless numbers of Marauders and Cannibals, Ravagers hidden in every building, a gauntlet of fire and death through which to go through, those too wounded to fight left behind with the dead, doomed to meet their end, alone and in agony.

_And we're barely even halfway there_.

Again, Michael stood at the edge of the ruins, this time facing the open rather than coming from it. Checkpoint Charlie was nothing more than that, there was nothing special about it, just more broken ruins, rubble and death... yet the road to it lay paved in blood.

_And there'll be more_...

Ahead, the Reapers had cleared the ground, a kilometre wide circle around the Citadel's beam turned into nothing but gravel. To the left, one of the Reaper's massive anti-space cannons lay in a massive crumpled pile, to the right, another, smoke rising from somewhere deep within its hull. It was a wide path, an artificial pass. _Thank you, David_.

At the other side, more ruins waited, like a dark and foreboding forest, the monsters lurking within all too real.

Yet no guns were fired, the soldiers on Michael's side resting and conserving ammunition, those on the other hiding their true numbers and disposition.

_Are you actually worried, Harbinger_? _Do you feel you need to use tactics now_? _What kind of god needs that_?

Michael's face remained grim, however, his taunts unable to conceal his unease. _It's a long way across_...

And the silence of his opponent...worried him.

_What are you up to_...?

Slowly, wearily, he raised his hand to his helmet, switching frequency. "Shepard to Jondum Bau, come in."

"Bau here."

Michael glanced down the line of his soldiers, watching their grim faces, faces now etched with exhaustion as they realised they were facing a battle unlike any they'd ever faced. Even the _Krogan_ were silent, eyes narrowed, teeth bared. "Are you at Checkpoint Delta?"

"Near as we can be, enemy concentrated around it in strength, ready to oppose your attack." Was the quick response, the Salarian's voice somewhat muffled, as if fearing detection.

"What's your situation?"

"Minimal casualties, had to send Hammerheads away though, draw off pursuers." The Salarian grunted as he shifted. "All destroyed now, don't worry, pilots drove remotely."

_Hmmm_... "And the Reaper forces? Are you in a position to ambush them?"

"Substantial, Husk and Brutes in significant numbers, Marauders and Ravagers in every building." The Spectre replied, hesitating for but a moment. "We are in position, however, given the numbers of enemy close combat capable forces, an attack would lead to... _total_ destruction." A pause. "However, ready to attack on your command."

_Hmmm_... _we must cross, but_... _dammit_... _this_ _is_ _no_ _different_ _than_ _Vido_... _or_... _I_ _should_... _wait_..._'drove remotely'_...? "Hold until I give the command." He turned, locating Grunt and waving the Krogan over. "Grunt, can the Tomkahs be driven remotely?"

"Of course." The Krogan growled, looking offended. "We're not complete savages, we know how radios works."

"Good." Michael nodded, his plan suddenly taking shape. "Have the drivers get out of them and take out the Eclipse mechs, I want Ymir mechs inter-spaced between the Tomkahs, and Loki mechs hiding behind them, then we head out. We're going to give the impression we're attacking on a broad front." Michael grinned. "Time to use our _own_ expendable forces."

The Krogan, nodding eagerly, matched his grin. "Oh, I'll get that done..."

Turning away from the tank-born already running towards the pool of Krogan tanks, Michael turned back to face the ground before him, eyes narrowing, words a hiss. "Come on... take the bait you stupid beasts..."

It didn't take long for the preparations to finish.

With a rumble and a whine of heavy hydraulics, the mechs and tanks began to lurch forward.

Out of cover, into the open, a line of gleaming metal, a slow wave of steel.

"All troops..." Michael muttered into his radio, eyes never leaving the open ground before them. "... prepare to fire on my command and my command only."

On the other side, the husks held still, waiting.

"Come on..." Michael muttered, glaring at the other side, _willing_ the enemy to engage.

Instead, it was the Ymirs opening fire, followed by the Tomkahs, slow-firing cannons pounding the enemy positions with small grenades, pelting them with suppressive fire.

Then, the Loki mechs opened up, small pistols raking the enemy with their fire.

The answer was a roar.

_YES_! Michael clenched his fists, staring ahead.

Long, loud, seemingly endless.

And like a dark flood, smashing through a broken dam, the husks came charging in, Brutes and Husks, lead by Banshees, pouring forward, _endlessly_.

Behind them, rifles and the cannons of Ravagers were firing, making the shields of mech and Tomkah alike flare with the impacts, armour melting and cracking under intense fusillade.

The Loki were fanning out, guns firing without stopping, unflinching in front of the flood of enemies coming at them as they killed what few they could. The Ymirs and Tomkahs had come to a stop too, firing like mad at the oncoming horde...and not even making a dent in them. _So many_... Michael found himself stunned at the sheer _numbers_ of them.

Lokis were melting, Ymirs and Tomkahs exploding, the sheer force of the enemy bombardment tearing through them like a great wind.

Michael could sense soldiers looking at him, fretting, confused, waiting for his command.

Then, the horde reached them.

A resounding crash, like the impact of knights meeting on the field of valour, and the flood poured into the mechs and tanks. There, a Loki fell, gun gutting a Husk even as the another atop it tore its head off. There, a Ymir was torn in half by a charging Brute, only for the resulting explosion to consume them both. There, a Tomkah rolled over a dozen Husks and a Banshee, only for two Brutes to tear its hull open like it was paper.

The battle would be over in moments.

Taking a step forward, Michael's shout echoed across the field. "_Fire_!"

Like a living thing, the horde on the field recoiled as Makos and all the assembled infantry opened fire, the ruins they were in shaking and the air vibrating with the force of the fusillade.

Husks fell in their hundreds, twitching, curling over, claws still around their metal prey as they died. Brutes died, massive bodies simply slumping to the ground or being ripped apart by massive explosions. Banshees shrieked, curling over like dead ants or reaching up to the sky, as if begging their creators for an aid that would never come.

Turning frequencies, Michael, grinned. "Bau, you're free to engage."

Instantly, the far side of the field came alive with explosions, lights dancing across the line of buildings. The blue lights of Scorpion shots, yellow from explosive mines and grenades, purple from biotics, a rainbow of colours, of _death_, illuminating the grey ruins, making them come _alive_.

_The Reapers will still counter-attack though, their numbers endless, and then Bau will have to fight on his own, and we might end up charging into enemy guns anyway_. Michael grimaced, watching the death and carnage ahead, knowing it would take too long even as hundreds of husks fell before their guns. _Well_..._the answer is obvious then_. Into his radio, he gave the order. "Grunt...have your Krogan charge, clear the way. We're not stopping until we're on the other side."

"With pleasure!" Grunt roared.

And others took up the cry, thousands of Krogan breaking cover, pounding forward, straight towards the horde ahead.

Within moments, they were closing the gap, a bloodthirsty roar rising from thousands of throats.

"FOR TUCHANKA!"

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson, for the grenades._


	65. Chapter 65

It had stopped raining.

Instead, the grey clouds above were rumbling, bolts of lightning dancing between them or striking out against the ruins below, shattering stone wherever they struck. The weather was ever changing though, and Michael had no idea what would be next as the planet's sky rippled in its throes of death.

He ignored it though, as he did with Liara.

The Asari was behind him, as always, a silent shadow, her gaze fixed on him since the battle had started. Michael knew Tali would have done the same, had she been there... and he knew he couldn't bear to face it, that he would falter if he turned and looked at the Asari.

_Stay strong, this is all you've worked for, no hesitation_.

He wasn't with his troops at the moment, leaving command to Grunt, James, Jondum Bau, Shiala, Riley and Padok Wiks. The chain of command was no longer in place after the first and second wave had been grouped together, instead all commanders simply lead those troops they could get a hold of at the moment, driving them forward.

So, sensing that just a little more chaos would shatter their order of battle, Michael had marched back, to make sure the third wave didn't crash into their rear, turning their army into a mindless crowd with no ability to move either forward or backwards. But also to ensure they were close enough to actually be of use at the last push.

It was a careful balance, all forces were already slightly behind schedule, and though pushing things would only make things worse, something in the back of his skull was screaming at him.

_Hurry, hurry, hurry_...

So he stood at Checkpoint Delta, at the other end of the open field he'd crossed not so long ago. Around him, droves of Cannibals, Marauders and Ravagers lay, a carpet of dead troops still dug in among the ruins when the Salarians and Asari commando forces had struck the husks in the back and overwhelmed them in one brutal strike.

The field itself was covered in a carpet of dead, the Tomkahs and mechs that had fallen were out of sight, the tanks – even those not torn to shreds – covered in dead husks. Among them, many Krogan and a few Human lay, but for each dead of the allied forces, there were a hundred husks, the dark rug of mangled flesh covering nearly every inch of ground between Michael's position and the other side, sometimes several layers deep.

It made for slow progress for the Turian, Geth and Quarian forces slowly appearing from the other end of the field. Victus had taken a practical – if somewhat distasteful – solution to the problem. With no time to move around the slaughter, he'd instead had the first Grizzlies in his force drive ahead, crushing husks and allied corpses alike under their heavy treads, turning it all into a dark goo through which the following troops had to wade through.

_No one said war was glamorous_.

Michael shook the pointless thought aside. Now was not the time to think of the brutality of war. _I have a decision to make_. "Shepard to Victus."

"Go ahead, Spectre." The Turian's voice was strained, in pain. "Our flanks and rear are being harassed endlessly, so I'd appreciate if the order wasn't for us to 'hold the line' or something stupid like that. I'd like to stay a _moving_ target."

Michael grimaced, the reminder of Mordin and his dislike of holding the line unwelcome. _Miranda had it right though, we'll make it worth it, all of it_. "I want you to..." _Slow down, giving our vanguard more time to push forward and not get caught in a traffic-jam, risking making it hard for the the rearguard to catch up_? _Or push up faster, try to regain lost time but with the risk of everything going to pieces_? _Oh, who am I kidding_..._there's only one path_. "...increase the tempo, I'm sure moving faster will make you a _better_ target." He blinked. "Err...you know what I mean."

"Nice one." The drawled chuckle in the radio could only come from one man. "You sure are an inspiration to us all, Michael."

"Hey, I have a lot on my mind." A brief smile managed to reach Michael's lips, then a beep in his helmet forced him to change frequency before his friend could come with a doubtlessly witty retort. "Talk to me."

"Shepard, Cortez here." The tone of the pilot was grim, making Michael take a deep breath to steady himself before the bad news. "We're detecting a large enemy force south of Checkpoint Alpha that is closing in fast... I'm speaking of husks in their _millions_." Michael grit his teeth. _Fuck, figures. Leave it to the Reapers to pour troops at us to keep us busy __while__ preparing a large strike at the same time_. "Also, systems are picking up a change in the field surrounding the Citadel beam, the energy making ships within it to crash has retreated to Checkpoint Delta."

_They can do that_? Michael grunted. _Of course they can_..._the question is_... "Why?"

A pause. "To allow _hundreds_ of Dragons to fly within it. They're coming in from the east and are minutes away from reaching the forces crossing the open area near your position." Another pause, voice turning yet grimmer. "Judging by their velocity, they're carrying troops."

_Troops they'll drop right on top of ours_... _not to mention the dragons themselves taking out anything in the open, grinding the force to a halt_. For a moment, Michael stood deathly still, feeling Liara inch closer in worry as he himself felt a dread cold run up his spine. _I can't let them do that_. "Cortez..." A deep breath, and Michael let the words tumble out. "...I want all fighters and shuttles to intercept the enemy air force. Bring it down, _no matter_ the cost." _Which will be high. We only have a few fighters, and the shuttles are lightly armed and armoured, not to mention as agile as bricks_... "They must _not_ reach the column."

To his credit, Cortez's voice didn't waver for even a moment. "Roger that, Sir." _What are the odds for you, a good pilot, but driving such a slow ship, to survive_? _A percentage_? _Less_? "We'll stop them." _And I'll make it worth it_.

"I want the Volus bombing fleet to continue bombarding the enemy forces to the south, empty your ordnance on them and then pull back."

"Din Foran here, affirmative." A Volus voice replied before taking a deep breath. "However, requesting..." Another deep breath. "...to assist fighters once ordnance has been deployed, our aft-mounted guns can assist." _And your slow ships will be sitting ducks to the Dragons as you try to but wound them with your guns_...

_Yet that little might make a difference_. "Granted."

Michael turned to leave, only for his radio to call again. "Yes?"

"Legion reporting. Requesting permission to remain behind at Checkpoint Delta with remaining Geth platforms."

Michael blinked, confused. "Explain." _God, where did all these heroes, ready to sacrifice everything, come from_...? _Heroes that I'll_... _damn you, Reapers and your code_...

"Our platforms cannot keep up with Victus' forces at the current pace, and our firepower will do much in slowing down any forces trying to cross the open ground between Checkpoint Charlie and Delta." Legion replied. "Enough for the remaining forces to reach Checkpoint Echo unmolested by said forces." A pause, as if considering Michael's silence. "Once our platforms are overwhelmed, we will transmit ourselves to space-born platforms. Our platforms are another expendable force for you to use, Michael. I ask that you use it." Another pause, this time shorter, tone somewhat haughty. "We will hold the line."

A groan escaped from Victus' transmission, followed by a chuckle as Garrus chimed in. "Oh spirits, did the Geth just try to make a joke!? And Joker isn't around to hear it!?"

_Damn it, Legion, you and your people deserved better than this_... _dying through my deception as you aid me_... _but there is no other way_. Swallowing, Michael managed a curt nod, despite none but Liara being around to see it. "Okay, Legion, permission granted." Michael sighed, lowering his head and closing his eyes as he tried to calm himself, to regain his focus and concentrate on the _mission_ rather than the horrors involved... and again, the radio called out, demanding. Shaking his head, Michael managed to snap out. "Shepard here, go ahead."

"Riley here, we have a problem here at Regent Street." The words came in garbled, struggling against interference. "We cannot proceed."

"_WHAT_!?" Michael had expected bad news, but not _that_. "What do you mean you can't..." He felt red blood pound under his temples in the blink of an eye. "Nevermind, I'll be right there!"

One moment he had been standing, the other he was running, a dark shape, speeding through _darker_ shadow.

8

8

8

"What's going on here?" Michael marched forth, glaring at Riley as the marine straightened into a salute, though his growl made the seasoned soldier shirk back. "Why have you _stopped_!?"

Riley's helmet showed no expression, yet he sensed her confusion as she turned her head, making him look at the road ahead. "Erm... see for yourself?"

Following the spurt of development in London, Regent's Street had widened into ten lines for heavy transports, the pavement on either side making it even wider. Even with the occasional rubble from fallen buildings, the road was a good path leading directly to Regent's Park and the Citadel.

Yet while Michael could see the Citadel ahead – towering over the ruined city like the finger of some evil god – he could not see the beam ahead, his view blocked by a mound – as tall as the surrounding ruins – of corpses that covered the road from left to right. Even as he watched, more enemies were added to it as they reached the top, a constant flurry of shots from the entrenched Humans and Krogans cutting down the endless stream of Husks and Brutes coming at them.

Above them – from every building – sniper rifles barked out their death, only to be answered by the bombardment of Ravagers as they weaved a deadly game of cat and mouse.

Riley's voice was muted. "They're pressing us endlessly, and have turned the street ahead into a monstrous gauntlet of death." A sigh. "We've sent scouts out to seek alternative routes."

For a moment, Michael sensed the choice he could make, the different paths, stretching out before him.

Then, anger took hold. "Alternative routes? _Alternative_ _routes_!?" He took a sudden step forward, grabbing Riley's breastplate to stop her retreat as he glared into her helmet's glowing eyes. "Either we advance, or we die! I say we _advance_!"

"S-sir...nothing _but_ death is across that wall..." The woman stuttered.

Around him, Michael could feel the gazes of hundreds, following the confrontation... and their _fear_.

_No, this does __not__ end here_. With a snarl, he shoved the soldier back, stalking towards the mound with narrowed eyes even as small thought entered his mind. _Damn, Garrus was right_... It was washed away by anger though, anger driving his steps forth, that made him whirl around, eyes flashing as he raised his voice, Liara a silent shadow behind him. "We _advance_! We _fight_!" He glared at the men and women staring at him. "Do _not_ fear death! Fear _failure_!" He glared at them, and every pair of eyes he saw turned away. "I will _not_ fail! I will _win_! Who will win _with_ me!?"

Silence.

Only gunfire, downcast eyes, _fear_.

_No_...!

Then, a scrape of boots, James meeting his gaze, Wraith shotgun leaning on his shoulder.

Grunt, the Krogan plodding up next to the Human, snorting in disgust at his brethren still hesitating.

Jondum Bau and Padok Wiks, the two Salarians reloading their sniper rifles before standing stiffly in a salute.

Shiala, the Asari's eyes glowing with biotic energy and the need for vengeance for her planet.

And finally, Riley, hesitantly stepping forth, head downcast.

Behind those few, Humans and Krogan alike shifted where they stood, shamed, conflicted.

"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers..." Michael spoke as he turned, Revenant clipped to his back as he instead drew his Scimitar and pulled a grenade free. His words came easy, flowing out. _Thanks, Ashley_. "For he today that sheds his blood with me..." He marched forth, feet making the body beneath crunch as he began his ascent, throwing his grenade over the mound where it exploded with a dull boom. "_Shall be my brother_!"

A roar, and Michael was charging up at full speed, shotgun ripping the head off a Husk just coming over the top of the mound. Two more took its place... and the Salarians at his back split their skulls apart. Another grenade slipped into Michael's hand before he threw it... only for a Husk to catch it mid-air... before Grunt's Claymore sent it flying back, the grenade in its hands setting it and all husks around it ablaze.

A Brute leapt up, towering over him and Michael's scimitar barked along with James' Wraith, making it recoil before Liara and Shiala's biotics struck it as one, the resulting explosion sending it flying back in pieces. A Husk took its place, leaping straight into Michael's bayonet. He threw it over his head...

And then, he reached the summit.

His eyes momentarily widened.

The road ahead was covered in Husks, the Husks churning around the larger Brutes like a river around rolling stones, a river heading straight for _him_. Filling the ruins on each side, on every floor, hordes of Cannibals and Marauders crowded next to Ravagers, like the archers upon some ancient battlement, preparing to rain death upon those foolish enough to come into range.

Yet further ahead, he could see the beam, so close he could _taste_ it, _feel_ it. The artificial gorge created by the beam was not unguarded though, he could see dark movement there, like ants crawling around a festering wound on the world.

He was close though! And the numbers ahead, will _massive_, were no longer endless. Victory was in reach.

_Nothing will keep me from it_!

Roaring, Michael leapt down, a foot striking the face of a Husk, shotgun tearing another two open as they tried climbing up the mound of their dead.

Behind him, there was a scream as three Ravagers drew a bead on Padok Wiks the moment he reached the top of the mound. Their combined fire tore through shields and armour with ease, sending his shredded body back down the way he came along with pieces of the corpses he'd been standing on.

A grenade from James, then Grunt, sailed over Michael's head, explosions tearing two great chunks out of the crowd coming up at them from the base of the mound of dead.

More came at them.

Roaring at a Brute coming at him, Michael leapt over its heavy swing, letting its claw sink into the flesh of their battleground as he himself landed atop its arm. His free hand shot forth, grabbing its head, pushing it away and exposing its long neck as he pressed his shotgun into it and squeezed the trigger.

Headless, the Brute tumbled back down, crushing Husks as it went... and Michael followed, shotgun tearing through a Husk leaping over the rolling corpse mid-air.

Another Brute was trying to come up on his right flank, but Jondum Bau's sniper rifle made it stumble as he blew off the armour covering its face. Then Riley was upon it, Mattock in her hand barking four times, sending pieces of its skull flying as the creature toppled forward.

Another corpse added to the pile.

A Husk grabbed the woman's ankle though, pulling hard, knocking her off her feet, sending her tumbling down the mound... only to be stopped by a dozen Husks leaping upon her, covering her completely as their gore-covered claws rose and fell in time with Riley's shrieks. A last cry of anguish, tinged with defiance, and an explosion sent bits of Riley flying along with what remained of the shredded Husks.

Crying out, Michael swept his shotgun about as he landed on the street, bayonet gutting a Husk too slow to leap back, a shot from it ripping another twos' heads off, his last shot tearing _three_ apart. _They're many_.

_But we're stronger_. Shoving his bayonet into the chest of a Husk, using it as a shield while he drew his Eagle pistol, Michael felt Liara and Shiala drop down beside him, their biotics sending a dozen Husks flying through the air like they were nothing but broken dolls. _We won't stop, Harbinger_.

Further to the left, Grunt landed atop two Husks, crushing them under his boots like bugs while catching a scything claw from a Brute with his Claymore. Roaring, the Krogan slammed his crest into the monster's head, making it reel back... and then fall to the side as Grunt bit into its neck and _ripped_. Spitting, the Krogan marched on, a chuckle on his lips.

_We won't stop_! Shiala's boot caught a Husk in the face as it tried to leap at Michael, the man's omni-blade deep in the chest of another as his Eagle made three others tumble to the ground.

_You cannot break us_! Spinning, Michael dodged a charging Brute, the creature turning to face him, only to roar in agony as Liara's biotic punch caught it in the spine, sending it to its knees as Michael, catching a flicker of the Asari's calm blue eyes, decapitated the beast with a flick of his wrist.

_You __will__ not break us_! Reloading, swifter than he'd ever done before, Michael began emptying another clip into the horde before him. Further off, James, his leg caught by a Brute, cried out as he was thrown into the air, the stump where his leg used to be spraying blood as he was thrown back onto the mound.

_Not while I stand_! Yet the man, screaming in agony, kept fighting where he'd landed, shot after shot and grenade after grenade striking at the horde... until he at last slumped, dead.

A brief jab of grief struck Michael at the sight, yet it was overwhelmed by the _anger_, by the _bloodlust_, by the need to push _forward._

Then, a resounding cry... and the field ahead came alive with explosions as grenades landed among the horde, followed by a spray of fire as Humans, bayonets fixed on their assault rifles, climbed the mound. _Not while __we__ stand_!

Another cry, deeper, and a horde of Krogans came, pride stung by the Humans taking the field first, their massive bodies coming down as living battery-rams, outrunning the Humans as they crashed into the Reaper forces ahead, making them reel back. _Not while we stand __together_!

The Eagle, empty, dropped from numb fingers as a Husk struck his wrist, only for the hissing creature to have everything above its jaw cut off by Michael's omni-blade. Growling, he shook his numbed hand, then clenched it, another omni-blade shooting forth from it as he glared at the horde of Husks coming at him. _You fear us together_! _Now live that fear for the rest of your short life_!

He charged, barrelling into the enemy ahead, omni-blades coming down like scythes on wheat, reaping a bloody harvest as limbs and heads were felled with each stroke.

As he did so, he found himself screaming into the radio. "Push forward! Seize the ruins! Cleanse them of filth!" A gasp for air, tainted by the foul stench of a gutted Krogan falling down next to him. "_Kill them all_!"

"KILL!" Came the answering roar from over twenty thousand throats, Humans and Krogans alike caught up in the frenzy of battle as they surged forth, pure _rage_ slamming through the husks ahead.

Fire devouring the flood.

_Kill them_!

Ahead, ten Humans pulled down a Brute with their sheer weight, bayonets stabbing at it again and again.

_Destroy them_!

To the left, a Salarian's sniper rifle shot through nine ranks of Husks with one shot before the alien clubbed a tenth over the head with his weapon, his knee smashing its face in as it fell forward.

_This is __our__ time_!

To the right, an Asari was dancing a dance of death, weaving between Husks and Brutes as her biotics sent creatures flying.

_Our__ cycle_!

Above, in a ruin, a Krogan roared as he slammed into a Ravager, pushing the creature out of the window from where it had been shooting, making it squeal as it fell to its gory end.

_And they will __not__ have it_!

Roaring, mind aflame with rage, Michael plunged forth, slashing, stabbing, kicking, punching... and before him, all was a shower of death as anything opposing him was torn to shreds.

People were cheering, the flood of husks slowing to a trickle, and yet Michael pushed on, killing on instinct as he carved down the last of their opposition, the last obstacle to the beam.

Then, a chill ran down his spine.

Coming to a sudden halt, blinking, dizzy, breathing heavily, Michael stared ahead.

It _wasn't_ the last obstacle.

Ahead, while the road there was now clear of enemies, more than a million seemed to be waiting around the beam.

Yet that had not been what had stopped him, what had suddenly fallen over the flames of his rage like a cold blanket.

It was a call, angry, powerful...and getting _closer_.

"**Shepard****!**"

8

8

8

"Incoming fighters."

EDI's calm assessment couldn't quite match the reality of thousands of crimson lights that were the Oculi pour towards them like a shower of blood from the gaping wound of the allied fleet's formation. Joker kept calm though, eyes narrowing as they darted from the sight to his instruments, mind taking in the numbers crossing his board with the ease of thousands of real combat hours. "Honey, what have I told you about worrying me about the little things? That's _your_ thing, let me deal with the _big_ issues."

"I believe my reply should be 'typical male'..." EDI quipped even as Joker jinked the Normandy to the left, dodging a fusillade of enemy fire. "...but more correct would be 'typical you'."

Joker's reply was a dozen Javelin missiles being launched from their pods behind his Thanix cannon, the weapons arching to his sides, becoming his temporary wingmen as he deftly did a barrel roll to the right. Half a dozen Oculi exploded around him as the unexpected missiles struck them head on. Behind him, the rest of the Frigates that had deployed the initial wave of infantry hurtled into the breach, scattering the Oculi they didn't kill as the great formation of ships punched through the screen of fighters like a bowling ball knocking over pins.

Silence, making Joker smirk... before EDI replied. "I did not believe you could do that."

"Well that's why I still fly this bucket, right? License to do the whole Human thing?" Joker replied with a grin, hands flying over his controls like a musician and his harp. _Sing to me, baby_...

Ahead, another dozen Oculi died, blasted apart by Gardian systems or caught by missiles jinking nearly as deftly as the Normandy itself. "Correct, Jeff... you complete me."

Joker's grin softened, though he managed to retain his amused tone. "Damn, don't make me all mushy right now, I'm busy killing. Can't have the greatest pilot..." The words died on his lips, eyes staring at his instruments, then out the windshield. "...that can't be right."

"I do believe it is." EDI replied, voice as dulled as his own.

The Reapers were _in_ the allied formation, heedless of the close ranged fire from secondary lines, the Reapers were chewing through the formation like acid. Agile, strong and fast, their ships were blazing a path through Cruisers and Dreadnoughts alike, many clambering atop their targets like vile insects as they blew great holes in hulls with ruby blasts from their eyes, or tore entire ships apart with their black claws.

It was unlike any battlefield in known history.

The only ships doing okay were the Salarian and Asari vessels, their preference for agility over armour making them quicker to get out of the Reaper's path. Not that they were faster than their opponents, only faster than their allies that were nearly being _slaughtered_ rather than fought by now, and as more of their allies fell, more of the two Alien races ships were targeted.

Yet despite that fact, despite the slaughter, the allied fleet still had a semblance of order, ships trying to pull back, to draw a bead on the Reapers among them or regroup with the second line.

The second line was the shield fleet consisting of mostly Quarian ships protecting a Crucible whose outer armour was now scared by multiple blasts._ Scared isn't dead_... _like that ship_. The three Quarian Liveships were large enough to be seen by the naked eye... and as Joker watched, the middle-most shattered like a smashed melon, content slowly spilling out in all directions. In front of that fleet though, broken Reaper ships floated, their attempts to break through the first line and strike the vulnerable Crucible so far met with only death.

A few ships were pulling back though, mostly ships from the Terminus, trying to flee. Yet each escaping ship was mobbed by Oculi or hunted down by Reaper Destroyers, the god-like creatures from dark space intent on slaughtering the majority of the galaxy's forces in one blow.

There would be no escape.

"Full thrust!" Joker barked the word, barely noticing that EDI has already done so as he turned to his radio. "All Frigates, attack! Help the ships pulling back to the secondary line!"

Hurtling forward, the Normandy's missiles once more did the talking, streaming towards a Reaper Dreadnought with its shields down, making it recoil – as if it could feel pain – when the impacts tore one of its claws open through one of its joints. Joker was not done though, his instruments glowing as he rolled his ship right, drawing a clear shot while sending another salvo of missiles forward as EDI calmly spoke. "Firing main gun."

The Thanix cannon's shot easily outstripped the missiles, striking a Destroyer in the back as it began to lift off the burnt-out hull of a Turian cruiser. The shot burnt through the Reaper's shields, the impact making it turn... and its glowing eye was greeted by two dozen missiles. The blow wasn't enough to destroy the ship, but with its eye and the armour around it visibly cracked, it spun away, too crippled to fight.

In the radio, a female voice crackled. "The Admiral's ship is under attack, all vessels..." Static followed.

_The hell it is_. Turning the Normandy, letting it roll as it did so to dodge the blast from a passing Destroyer, as well as its swinging claws, Joker set course for the SSV Everest.

Yet the first thing he saw was not Hackett's ship.

"I-is that Harbinger...?" Joker asked, already knowing the answer.

He'd never seen the machine-god in 'the flesh', nor had _Michael_...yet there it was, larger than any ship Joker had ever seen. Even _Sovereign_ seemed paltry compared to the massive ship before him, a ship making a mockery of the very _definition_ of a Dreadnought. The massive ship paid the Normandy no heed though, claws having sunk into its prey.

Destiny Ascension, the pride of the Asari navy, the largest Dreadnought in Citadel space, was like a paltry fly in the grip of the spider that Harbinger was. Dark claws had sunk into the purple armour, sharp edges ruining soft curves as the twin cannons on each side at the front of Harbinger's 'face' again and again blasted the stricken Asari vessel, reminding Joker all too much of biting mandibles as the spider feasted upon the still living fly.

Tearing his gaze away from the horrible sight, Joker caught sight of the Everest, hull covered in dark holes, yes still visibly moving. Yet atop it a Destroyer had landed, its red eye glowing sharply as it blasted down, cutting down the Everest's remaining shields even as its claws punched into its armour, venting people and material from a compartment in the near crippled ship.

Noticing the incoming Normandy though, the Destroyer closed its eye, strong armour under stronger shields covering it. Joker gritted his teeth, hands flying over his controls. "EDI, let's do some pruning..."

"Shears deployed." Came the coy response, Thanix cannon and Javelins firing as one, following Joker's command.

The blast from the Thanix cannon punched through the Destroyer's shield and heated up the armour around its eye until it glowed... but it did not break it.

It kept the eye closed though, unable to retaliate as the four Javelins struck home, one hitting each joint of its legs.

Joker could hear no groan of strained metal in the cold void of space, yet knew it would have made his ears hurt, had he been able to hear the sound of the Reaper slowly breaking off from the Everest, its black claws still stuck in the Alliance vessel like four bent arrows. As he hurtled past it, Joker saw on his instruments how the Destroyer tried to move, only for a pair of Salarian Fighters to blast its crippled hull apart.

"Thank you, Normandy. You have my gratitude." Hackett growled through the radio, his voice somewhat strained as there was a muted explosion in the background.

"I prefer my medals in silver, brings out my eyes." Joker quipped, then blinked, remembering he was talking to a commander that _wasn't_ Michael for a change. "Errr... Sir."

There was no response to that though, the Admiral's voice suddenly harder than his usual granite, tense and hurried. "Normandy, stop Harbinger or alter its course, _now_!"

_What_!? _That's_ _crazy_! Joker was already turning the ship around though, automatically obeying the Admiral's demand, bringing him back in time to see Destiny Ascension spin away from Harbinger, drifting through space... and then violently breaking apart in a blast of blue light.

Ten thousand souls, snuffed out in the blink of an eye.

Harbinger was already turning through, flying off, flying away from the battle, flying towards... Earth.

Joker's eyes widened. _My friends_! _My_... _all that'll be left after the battle of EDI is down there_...

His hesitation turned to grim determination, Joker sped after the horrifyingly fast monster of a Reaper. _Time to see how fast this gun can fire_... The Thanix cannon began to blast, then again before the shot had even connected, a stream of shots of blue lights tearing through the darkness and striking the Dreadnought ahead.

Ignoring the Normandy, its shields flaring, Harbinger sped on.

"Gun is near overheating." EDI solemnly muttered, though Joker barely heard her.

"Then pray Garrus calibrated its heat sinks." He grunted... and disabled the safety protocols as he turned the stream of shots into a solid spear of energy loaded with projectiles hammering into Harbinger's shields.

Almost casually, Harbinger's arms pulled back, tips glowing as it continued driving forth... and then ten beams of energy shot out as one.

_Roll right, noose up twelve degrees, roll down, dart left_! Joker manoeuvred on instinct, ducking the beams meant to annihilate his ship with milliseconds to spare. "Jeff... I..." EDI's voice cracked, _fear_ filling it.

"I don't want to hear it." Joker replied, bringing his cannon back to bear on Harbinger, raking its shield with blue fire.

Another salvo of red was the reply. _Noose down twenty degrees, roll left, roll right, up thirty degrees, dart up, down ten_! Around him, his cockpit was filled with red light as Harbinger's beams swept around him. "I just... if..."

"We're going to make it!" Joker shouted, defiant, cannon blasting Harbinger and finally knocking its shields out.

Harbinger... roared? It was _something_, a deep tone just at the edge of hearing, despite the lack of air to make sound travel... and it made Joker's skin prickle as his hands suddenly shook in fear. _God_...

Turning down, Harbinger turned not only its legs upon him, but the cannons near its head, crimson beams of death spearing ahead._ Up ten degrees, roll left, down_-

White light filled Joker's vision for but a moment, then saw the controls before him flash with warnings as a fizzling wire swung ominously from the ceiling, the smell of smoke filling his nostrils as someone at the back cried out a warning._ Damn, glancing shot from two shots and_... _whew, thanks Tali for those improved shields_.

Amazingly, the Normandy still flew though, and grunting, Joker managed to direct it towards the retreating Harbinger, once more interrupting its flight to Earth with a blast from its Thanix cannon.

This time, Harbinger instantly turned to face him.

_Crap_.

"_Jeff_..." EDI's voice, small, scared.

Joker swallowed as he stared at the monstrosity before him. "EDI, I..."

Harbinger fired.

Darkness.

Light.

Pain.

Moaning, Joker shook his head, then instantly regretted the action as his throbbing head shot a spike of agony through his spine. "Damn... I think I broke... _everything_..."

"Jeff!?" EDI's voice held a timbre of panic. "I... I worried that..." A sniffle, electronically made, yet genuine in all other ways. "The Normandy is crippled, I've managed to contain fires and am ensuring emergency systems are online, other than that I only have sporadic radio access and radar."

"Yeah... figures..."_ I owe Jacob a drink for that armour, without it_... _oh_... _right_... _well I'll drink it anyway, I'll need it_... Groaning, clutching his chest, Joker looked back... and instantly regretted that as he paled and turned back to his controls. "Okay, not as bad as the original Normandy before it _exploded_... but... you know... _close_." He took a deep breath, his chest all needles of pain. "I hope Michael makes the minute bought count... I'm out for the rest of the match."

"Harbinger won't stop him." EDI replied, though the words were almost impatiently spoken, swiftly pushed aside before more spilled forth. "I'm calling Chakwas, stims are in the compartment to your right, do not try to move and remain-"

"I know the drill, love." Joker replied with a soft smile, patting the controls in front of him. "I'll be fine... go win your boyfriend a trophy now."

"I'll bring the best one back, me."

Smiling, the stim suddenly in his hand injecting painkillers into his system, Joker closed his eyes.

"That's all I want."

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson, for all her time._


	66. Chapter 66

_Target acquired_.

_Eliminated_.

_Acquired_.

_Eliminated_.

Mechanically, swiftly, Legion fired again and again, the Widow in _his_ hand running hot despite the heat sinks lying around _his_ feet.

_We are Legion, for we are many_.

Targeting data was simple, tactical data fluid and complex... and together, it formed a dance of destruction within Legion's mind as _his_ forces battled the raw chaos pouring towards them.

_But a Legion is not simply that, many connected, becoming one_. _The Reaper code gave me that, gave my people that_... _correction_, _Shepard_ _did_.

Ahead, Geth Pyros were spewing fire. Rockets arched past them along with Plasma shots of various size, Widow-fire and the great blasts from Armatures. Together, the movement of the Geth's fire was like a living thing, cleansing the ground evenly, keeping their foes at bay as much as possible, trying to keep a breach from happening as long as possible.

_One mind, one person, one soul_... _one_ _me_.

Further ahead, the Husks were pouring forth. An endless, mindless, flood of Reaper-modified Humans... they were being torn to shreds in their hundreds, _thousands_... yet stumbled over one another as they rushed forward, _millions_ more following. Legion wasn't even targeting individuals now, _he_ was simply shooting as swiftly as _he_ could, killing as many as possible.

_Yet I'm still Geth, we are still connected, we are still together, Legion, we won't change that_.

The Pyros were being overtaken, thrown to the ground and ripped apart by Husks... and their inhabitants were transferred to the remaining ships above.

Legion felt a pang of grief at the sight – _his_ mind marvelling at the emotion, now so clear within _him_, when it once had been but an elusive shadow between _his_ individual programs – for while hardware was not meant to have consequence for Geth... Legion couldn't help but think the Geth losing their hardware would miss it... _he_ would miss _his_.

_I could change into a platform with a female voice modulator_. Legion tossed the idea aside though, organics had marked _him_ as _male_... and Legion found himself _caring_ about it. It was pointless between Geth... yet it was part of his identity... a frail concept to the new Geth that he grasped at with all the might of his developing consciousness.

_I will miss my head_.

Ahead, a Husk's head exploded into two-thousand and fifty-three pieces as Legion's Widow blasted it.

_I will miss my field-repair where I used Shepard's armour, when my personality was still __developing_.

An Armature fell, covered in Husks as the flood finally overcame the thin line of Geth defenders.

_But I am not this body_.

A Husk knocked aside his rifle, claws gripping tightly onto it as it tried to bite at Legion's face. He shoved it back, yet the creature did not let go, making Legion stumble with it.

_I will go on_.

Three more Husks smashed into him, knocking him onto his back as he registered damage on his left leg as it got caught in a crevice and broke. Hissing, the beasts tore at him, more joining them, a dark mass of slashing claws, blotting out all light as they tore and ripped while Legion abandoned his broken platform.

_For while I think, I exist_.

8

8

8

_Cold_...

Shivering, Cortez looked around himself.

His shuttle was smashed, engines either shorn off or sticking out at odd angles. At the back a fire was raging, though not burning anything of value. Ahead, the majority of the cockpit had been torn open, glass shattered and metal twisted into scraps.

Somehow though, Cortez's chair remained, belt even buckled on as the metal underneath groaned under his weight, unable to hold him for much longer.

Outside, the wind was gusting, and without combat armour, Cortez felt the cold like no soldier out there surely did.

Shivering, he moved a blood-smeared hand down to the buckle of his chair, freeing himself from the belt and gingerly rolling off the chair, clambering for some more solid support. _Damn, hurting_... Gritting his teeth, Cortez struggled to free his side-arm, head turning left and right to spot any threats.

Yet nothing came at him, his surroundings a giant graveyard.

Dragons, fighters, shuttles and even Volus bombers lay all around his shuttle. Twisted, broken, burning, they were a grim testament to the intensity of the battle had over the ruins of London, a battle that had ended with but _five_ Turian fighters able to pull back, their task completed. A costly victory.

_But victory none the less_.

That consolation felt empty to him with all the death surrounding him, the silence, the _stillness_.

A low rumble reached his ears though, making him turn his head, gazing out to the left.

_God_...

Cortez knew that there were supposed to be Geth holding the husk forces back as the main force advanced, yet all he saw was a stream of black figures moving north, across the open field. He'd heard via the radio that the main force had reached the beam, that they were ready to strike, that the Husks wouldn't reach their back in time to stop the assault... that the Geth had _won_.

_Just like us_.

Cortez looked back to the graveyard of broken ships around him... and the pistol in his hand slipped from his grip, falling to the floor. He felt himself double over, tears streaming down his face as he clutched at his chest.

_Is this what victory looks like_?

Too injured to fight, too _cold_ to fight, he retreated, heading to the back to warm himself, to _pray_.

8

8

8

_Many_...

Michael stared down the gorge, grimly calculating the distance to the beam, the opposition ahead... and coming up short.

The beam itself was white in the centre, blue lightning dancing across the edges. More lightning was coming from the clouds, swirling like a grey Python around the dark Citadel, the bolts escaping them striking the Citadel's polished surface again and again, as if raging against its intrusion upon Earth beneath and the mark it had made on their world.

The clouds threw the world into darkness, yet the lightning cut through it, the cold glow illuminating the gorge and throwing long shadows over everything else.

All around the lip of the depression, the ruins of London loomed large, concealing the majority of his troops as they deployed along the southern edge, the column uncoiling like a viper, ready to strike.

It was nothing compared to the dark beast facing them though.

All other sides of the edge was full with husks. Cannibals and Marauders crowding with Ravagers, most unable to use the cover provided by the ruins due to sheer numbers. Yet despite that they stood eerily still as they glared at their opposition, daring them to enter the gorge, for the viper to enter within reach of the slavering teeth of the beast.

The area between the beast's teeth was not empty either. A teeming mass of Husks and Brutes, the odd banshee standing among them, leering at the soldiers gathering above them. Together, the husks writhed like a single thing, a mouth, watering at the sight of the meal to come.

It was impossible to count them.

And above, Michael felt a presence looming closer, setting his nerves on fire with rage and fear.

Looking to his right, Michael saw Turians of the third wave crowd with Krogans from the second and Salarians from the first. Humans shoulder to shoulder with Asari and Quarian alike, Makos and Grizzlies driving into position as guns were checked and shields recharged.

It was an exhausted army, an army of wounded, an army on the edge.

But _not_ an army about to stop.

For looking beyond the broken armour, the wounds, the faces worn with exhaustion... Michael saw eyes of determination, of _anger_.

They now _truly_ understood what was at stake, what would _happen_... and _no one_ was backing down.

Around Michael, his companions stood.

With a dark pit in his stomach, he turned to face them.

For a moment, he could almost see those that _weren't_ there, those that _should_ have been there...wafts of smoke, creating shapes.

_Ashley, so much potential lost_...

_Jack, I hope you know peace at last_...

_Zaeed, you would have loved this fight_...

_Kasumi, I think you would have hated this fight, but you'd come none the less_...

_Thane, I hope the time you got with your son was enough_...

_Kaidan, you were always the good man, too good for this galaxy_...

_Mordin, always so practical, yet you had a better heart than me_...

_Wrex, I'm so sorry_...

_Javik, the Prothean empire will have its vengeance_...

_Samara, justice will be done on the Reapers_...

_Miranda, always pressuring yourself to be the best, you would have done well here_...

_James, you got to go back to Earth, got do your part, your uncle would have been proud of you_...

_Anderson, I was too late, but I'll make it worth it_...

And then, the apparitions were gone, the ghostly company fading as the wind died.

Forcing Michael to turn to the living, those he knew he might lose in the next few moments...

He spoke his orders quickly, feeling his throat tighten with thoughts of other things. "Victus, Bau, I want Humans, Krogans and Makos prepared to charge, the Turians and Salarians with the Grizzlies giving ranged support. Shiala, take your Asari and the Quarians to the south, form a perimeter to hold off the pursuing Husk army."

The Primarch stared at Michael's face, then glanced at the others... and gave a solemn nod as he understood, grabbing Shiala and Bau, as much for support as for guiding them away due to his injured leg.

That left Michael with his team, his friends, his _family_.

He held his back straight as he faced them, taking a deep breath to steady his beating heart and clear his tightly wounded throat.

"Grunt." The Krogan looked excited, battle-rage burning behind his eyes, yet somehow Grunt held back his instincts. He'd learnt that discipline from Michael, shaping himself to something more than his genes, from a cudgel to a sword. _And just as I turned you into that, you'll be the last Krogan to reach that level because of me_... "I want you with me, leading the assault."

"The tip of the dagger plunged into the heart of these Reapers." The Krogan thumped his fists together, teeth bared. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"EDI." The machine looked back at him, face conveying fear for Joker on the crippled Normandy, sympathy for him and what awaited him at the end of the battle no matter what happened, determination to fight to the end. _To think, I see it as natural on her now, an AI_... "Stay with the tanks, keep them firing."

The synthetic nodded, looking as if she was about to speak, yet in the end, she remained silent.

"Garrus." The Turian was bleeding from where a Husk had reopened his scar on the right mandible, but he ignored it, steady gaze holding Michael's, though the grey eyes glittered with a growing wetness. _I know_... _I_ _know_... "I want you with the soldiers on the lip, sniping like you never have before, you'll be my guardian angel."

"Watching your ass, as usual." Garrus quipped, though the humour was absent from his voice. "I'll get you to the beam, Michael."

"Liara." The Asari turned her face from his when he turned his gaze upon her, pain and fear reaching him through their link, the woman unable to meet his eyes, agonizing about what would happen. _Yet you will let me go, you must_... "I want you with Shiala. They only need to keep the Husks off our back until my troops reach the beam, but you're needed there."

Liara bit her lower lip until droplets of purple broke the skin. Closing her eyes, a sense of helplessness emanating from her as she offered the smallest of nods."O-okay."

"Tali, you're with the other Quarians, protecting the rear and-"

"_No_." Tali snapped, crossing her arms in front of her chest and taking a step forward, the glowing orbs in her visor narrowing. Another step forward, and her right hand shot forth as the left closed into a fist at her hip, a finger pointing accusingly at Michael's face. "You will _not_ leave me behind, I'm not some princess you need to protect and I will _not_ let you go into that hell without me!"

Michael had expected the protest, had _feared_ it... yet all he felt as she uttered the words was a fierce pride... and a growing sense of despair. He looked at her, lips smiling, yet eyes sad as his shoulders slumped, his voice was but a soft whisper. "You think I'm trying to protect you...?" He blinked, eyes burning. "Tali, what do you think will happen to those left behind once whatever survives reaches the beam...?"

Tali took half a step closer, about to reply... and then lowered her hand an inch, eyes behind her visor widening.

"I don't... I hope..." Michael choked on the words, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath. When he opened them again, he managed to speak once more, directing his words to everyone. "We'll _all_ be in equal danger. If the Citadel isn't activated in time, if the Crucible doesn't fire... well... I'm sure you can all imagine what'll happen."

Sombre silence followed his words.

Glancing back, Michael saw soldiers slip into positions, tanks driving to designated positions as weapons were readied, nearly the entire column now deployed into a single battle-line. The troops were moving with the efficiency he demanded of them... yet now wished they didn't. He turned his gaze back to his family. _This is my final moment with them_... The thought struck him hard, nearly driving the air from his lungs, panic filling his chest as he stared at them all, drinking in the sight of them. _Too much to say, too little time_...

They looked back, though even Grunt seemed to be struggling now, shifting where he stood, uncomfortable, as if sensing what would happen.

Slowly, Michael pulled his helmet off, arms heavy as he moved it down and fastened it to his belt. With that, his legs feeling like they were made of lead, Michael made his way to the Krogan. "Grunt." He clasped the Krogan's forearm, offering a smile. "No matter what..." _No matter if you survive and learn of what I did_. "... know that it was an honour to fight alongside you."

"The same, Battlemaster." Grunt replied, looking at Michael with solemn eyes. "I owe my life, _all_ that I've accomplished, to _you_." He leant closer, nodding at his own words. "The honour's been _mine_." With that, he released Michael and stepped away, to the front of the troops, teeth bared in a snarl as with critical eyes he scanned the gathered troops, then those of the enemy.

Taking a deep breath, his chest hurting, Michael moved to the next in the group. "EDI..." The machine's eyes, glinting with steel, conveyed her sadness perfectly, a startling contrast of cold tech and warm emotions. "... I still can't quite believe how much you've come to mean to me." He offered an awkward chuckle, though it caught in his throat a bit as his windpipe seemingly wound tight. "Live free and well, that's my last order as Captain."

For a moment, EDI didn't answer, the machine biting her lower lip. Then, she slipped forward, arms gently closing around his waist as she hugged him tight, voice a whisper. "I will, thank you, for setting me free, for... making me feel accepted."

Slowly, Michael pulled free, finding EDI staring at him... and then deflecting her gaze, silently turning and walking away. Watching her leave, Michael felt the corner of his eyes burn.

He felt an urge to kiss the next one he moved to, yet he couldn't. Instead he hugged her close the instant he turned to her, rocking her back and forth as she trembled in his arms. "Liara, I..." He swallowed, finding it difficult to breathe as the Asari suddenly started sobbing against his chest. "... I owe you my existence, my... _everything_..." He managed to pull her back, to look at her crying eyes... and felt his own eyes prickle as his tears too finally started to fall. "Words cannot... it'll never be enough to repay you for all you've done..." He moved forward, managing to kiss Liara's forehead.

Liara mutedly nodded, then leaned closer, head in the crook of his neck as she trembled, her words a pained and frightened whisper. "I love you..."

And then she was gone, out of his arms, running away, not looking back.

Michael watched her run, regret burning him, yet there was nothing he could do.

So instead, he turned his gaze upon the next person... and winced as he felt his tears beginning to fall more freely, his chest painfully tight and his hands shaking. "Ga-Garrus, I..." The Turian was no better, his mandibles pressed tight to his mouth, tears running down between the edges of his face's plates as he stood rigidly before Michael, as if unwilling to trust himself with movement. "...y-ou're m-my be-best..." Michael choked on the words.

Garrus too tried to speak, but no words came, only a low vibrating sound from deep within his chest.

Moving forward, Michael found himself kissing the man's scared mandible, then bowing his head, forehead meeting forehead, resting against one another. _God, I can't breathe_... Michael's hand moved up, gripping the back of Garrus' neck as he closed his eyes, breathing heavily while he felt his friend mirror his actions.

Too overcome for words.

Finally, though, Michael had to speak, to do what he could for his friend. "Meet you at the bar after the battle?"

A little chuckle, the Turian remembering their agreement of pretending. "Y-yeah..." Michael found himself opening his eyes... and Garrus', while wet, were fixed on his. "Let's give them something to remember for eternity, buddy."

Michael couldn't help but grin back at that. "Oh you know me and drama, it'll be epic."

"It _better_."

Reluctantly, Garrus let go of Michael and took a step back... and Michael felt it keenly, like the loss of a limb. Throwing a glance to the last of the group, Garrus offered a sad nod... and then turned to walk to his troops, his every step speaking of grief, head downcast, unable to look back.

And so, only the two of them remained.

Michael glanced at the troops, seeing the final preparations coming to a finish.

_Too little time, all too little time. We could have had years, and it wouldn't be enough_...

Tears still streaming down his face, his heart seemingly having stopped, Michael turned to face _her_.

Tali had one hand over the other, clutched to her chest. Her previous defiance was gone, the fire Michael loved seemingly having flickered out as she stared at him, her posture making her seem even smaller than she already was, as if she wished to disappear. _She looks_... _lost_.

Michael took a step closer, then another one, opening his mouth...

No words came, his throat unable to allow air to pass, his lungs crushed by a vice, anything he could say seemingly irrelevant.

Instead, they just stared at one another.

It felt as if it was too late.

_I'm sorry_.

_You were the only one who saw __me_.

_You are the light in my darkness_.

_All I am, all the __good__ I've done, is thanks to you_.

_You're my everything_.

_I love you_.

None of the words passed his lips, too small, too insignificant, not enough to encompass what he wanted to say.

In the end, it was Tali who broke the spell.

"Fuck it." The Quarian marched forward, hand coming up, tearing her visor off before Michael could shout his protest, throwing it aside.

Then she was against him, _in_ him, hands roaming, tongue exploring, lips moving with no sound against his own, saying all that was needed to be said without uttering a word. Over their lips, their tears mingled, Tali's scent washing over Michael as he gripped the back of her head, drinking her in with desperation, knowing their time was closing to an end.

In the background, Michael could hear the hooting and cheering of soldiers.

It was irrelevant.

Above them, the sky rumbled ominously.

It was irrelevant.

Around them, the very planet was dying.

It was irrelevant.

He could feel Harbinger approaching, the hatred of the Reapers beating down on him with the weight of a galaxy.

It was irrelevant.

With them, the fate of every living thing hung in the balance.

And it was irrelevant.

For that brief moment, for the first time in his life, Michael felt _free_.

And just like that, the moment passed.

Regret seeping into his veins, Michael pulled back, hand remaining on the back of Tali's head as he stared at her. _Remember when I first saw you without your visor... how I wished to memorize it_...? He found himself doing it again, drinking her in. _If I'm to die and walk into oblivion once more, I'll do that with the image of your face before me_.

Sensing his thoughts, she offered a small smile, desperate and sad, yet enough to make him smile back as his hand slipped around, stroking her cheek.

Without looking though, he knew that the troops were ready, that all was in place.

And Tali knew it too, her smile quavering.

Michael's hand dropped from her face.

A last, painful, glance... and he turned, he turned away from his love and began to walk, ready to face his death.

Yet he held on to one thought, even as he moved to stand in front of his troops, a thought pushing against the growing menace of the Reaper presence, like a flickering candle, staving off the darkness.

_I love you_.

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson, for the light._


	67. Chapter 67

"_Brothers_!"

Michael raised his voice as he marched forth to stand in front of the weary troops hunkering down in the ruins, ready to launch the final attack.

It was an impressive sight, yet sad and worrying at the same time.

Turians stood with Humans, whatever enmity they had once held for one another washed away in red and blue blood. Salarians stood with Krogans – the one that had raised up, only to push down the later to the brink of destruction – ready to fight side by side. And at the back, the Quarians – once exiled from the Citadel community – stood with the Asari, the _heart_ of the Citadel community.

Gone were the Geth forces though, completely destroyed. Gone was the air-support, their remains strewn on the battlefield Michael had left behind. Gone was nearly _half_ the Krogan and Human forces, a grizzly trail left behind during their advance. Gone was a good fifth of the Turian troops. Gone was a quarter of the Quarian and Asari forces, neither built or trained to handle a stand-up fight like this due to their suits and combat tactics.

And each soldier before him sported some injury, their armour cracked and burnt, their blood – and that of others – dried upon their armour, so dark it was nearly black in the shadows they hid in. Between the burns, the blood and bullets having chipped away at it... there was no colour left in the army. The Alliance and Turian blue was a solemn grey and black. The Krogan red and yellow an ominous black, the Quarian and Asari love for purple and reds turned into a motley grey. Even the Grizzlies, once so colourfully painted, were now nothing but dented pieces of grey metal, some of them looking more like the ruins they hid in than working tanks.

All looked grim as they watched him come to a stop before them and turned to face them, but it was a resolute grimness, one he himself had felt for so long... a knowledge of their imminent death, yet defiant in the face of it. _Truly, my family_... Michael glanced at the back, the Quarians there so distant it was impossible to pick out who was Tali... but it didn't matter. _Build yourself a home, love_...

"_Sisters_!"

Above, Michael felt a great _weight_ descend upon him, a darkness deeper than even a black hole, threatening to swallow him up, to _devour_ him.

"**Shepard**..."

_So you can defy the field stopping flight around the Citadel_?_ Yet only come now_... _your arrogance will be your undoing, we both know it_.

Michael unclipped his helmet from his belt, fastening it to his head with three precise moves... and dismissed the tactical data within it with a narrowing of his eyes. _That is no longer necessary, the time for that is over_. "Our time grows nigh!"

"**I will end you personally**..."

_Silence, I don't fear you_.

"There is precious little time! And none can be spared for a grand speech! You all know what's at stake, that's _enough_!" Michael reached over his shoulder, past his Revenant... and drew the weapon he'd so far ignored.

"**Feel honoured**."

_Right back at you_.

The Cain was heavy in his arms, but its appearance made those in the front ranks grin. "You want a _speech_...!?" He turned, sweeping the Cain to aim down at the gorge below, at the horde there. There, Brutes – their eyes glowing red – glared back at him. Banshee's smirked up at him, as if savouring the battle to come. Husks grinned at him, undead monsters knowing only hunger.

Michael squeezed the trigger.

Instantly, the mushroom cloud of the Cain rose near the centre of the gorge, making the Citadel's beam glow even more brightly as glares, smirks and grins were wiped away by atomic winds. The great blast melted mutilated flesh and turned Reaper servants to ash as a massive cloud of dust rose above the battlefield, a defiant show of life against the death surrounding it.

Turning his head, Michael threw the Cain aside as its blast made thousands of eyes glow with a defiant fire. "_There's_ your speech!" He drew his Revenant, turning back to the lingering blast, glaring down at it. "Now _charge_!"

His legs kicked off, sending him running down the slope.

And then a roar rose from behind him, loud enough to make the ground _shake_... and the Krogans and Humans broke cover, charging down after him as Makos shot out from their cover like cars onto a race-track. Near fifteen thousand voices roaring as one, thirty thousand feet pounding the ground as they hurled themselves forward, towards the haze of dust ahead.

A haze slowly lifting...

Ahead, a horde of husks came charging up at them, the blast of the Cain seemingly having barely scratched their numbers.

Above, from left to right, Cannibals, Ravagers and Marauders began to shoot, enveloping the charging troops in fire, dust and death.

Michael, Revenant at his hip, began to fire, his shots _incapable_ of missing the great flood of enemies ahead.

To his left and right, all around him, Krogans and Humans joined in, spraying their weapons at the horde in front of them, shots scything through them as Makos tore great holes in the enemy ranks with each of their grenades as they too opened up.

Holes instantly filled by more.

Behind him, the Grizzlies opened fire on the husk horde at the front while they were still separated from the charging allies. Beams of blue, a speck of colour and light in the darkness, speared out, sweeping back and forth as they struck the middle ranks of the husk forces, only to go on, annihilating hundreds with each stroke of their guns. The Turians with them did the same, a fusillade of rifle fire and grenades raining down on the husk forces, killing thousands more.

Yet the horde kept coming, endless in their numbers as more came pouring down from the all but the allies side of the gorge.

A Mako drove past Michael's left... and then flipped forward as a battery of Ravagers smashed asunder its cockpit.

Salarians answered the fire, the battery going silent one Ravager at a time as sniper rifles systemically tore through them.

In answer, two _more_ batteries crawled into position, regiments of Marauders and Cannibals too, pushing outwards, crowding with Husks and Brutes coming down to meet the allied charge.

A Krogan, his right arm shorn off at the elbow, ran past Michael with a defiant roar... and then crumpled, his body twitching as dozens of Marauders and Cannibals poured shots into him.

With his Revenant empty, Michael had no time for reloading or even collapsing it as the husks ahead began to close the distance. Instead he threw it aside, hands going to his bandoleer, throwing grenades at random as he ran.

Before him, the world was consumed by fire, electricity, smoke and explosions.

More grenades were sailing through the air, Humans and Krogans alike sending everything they had at their foes as the distance shrunk. A wall of fire and death, consuming the husks so willingly throwing themselves into it.

To Michael's left, a Human fell to a storm of enemy fire, the grenade in her hand exploding, tearing apart two more Marines. The force of the blast sent Michael stumbling to the right even as he continued his charge. _I must not stop_.

Before him, the world exploded as three Ravagers drew a bead on him.

_I won't stop_! Michael leapt, the force of the explosions under his feet making him fly yet higher, agony shooting through his feet. _I __won't_!

He fell, rolled with the impact and onto his left knee. In the corner of his eye, he saw a Grizzly's beam tear the three Ravagers apart. _Thanks, EDI_. Yet ahead, a Husk at the front of the horde came bounding for him, eyes glowing with eerie power. _Scimitar gone, Eagle gone, Revenant gone_. Michael reached to his left hip with his right hand, hands closing around the extra pistol he'd brought, the Carnifex solid in his grip... and not budging. Glancing down, Michael found his eyes widening at the piece of metal lodged into the pistol, nailing it fast to his armour.

He looked up in time to see the Husk leap at him, raised his hand to block its mad lunge... and the creature's limbs twitched as its head exploded, sending the rest of the monster tumbling to the ground with the force of the impact._ Garrus, drinks are on me_...

Then he was up and running again, with no time to rip the Carnifex free, he instead closed his hands, letting the omni-blades slide forth, a dot of amber in the darkness.

Ahead, the husk army closed in for the final charge.

Above, the Citadel loomed large, close, yet so far away.

To his right, a Mako drove forth with a roar of its engines, smashing straight into a Brute, knocking it over and crushing it under its wheels.

At the next moment, another Brute leapt upon it, claws sinking deep into its hull, ripping it in two even as the cannon swivelled around and blew the monster apart with a grenade.

Husks poured into each broken half a second later, tearing apart the survivors within.

A Husk charged at Michael, and he stabbed and pulled upwards, his blade slicing it in two from belly to forehead as he sprang through it, his other blade sweeping around and decapitating a Husk leaping for another soldier.

"For Earth!" Eight soldiers, running as one, lowered their heads and ran straight into a Brute, knocking it over even as its claw ripped the leg off one of them. The remaining seven began to stab and shoot at it... only for it to rise as each of them was immediately pulled to the ground by swarming Husks.

"For Tuchanka!" A pair of Krogan thundered into a horde of Husks, arms smashing them aside or apart, feet stomping others into the ground... and then the rightmost was lifted off his feet as a Banshee stabbed her hand through his chest. The other turned, levelled his gun at the creature's head and then fell, half a dozen Husks atop his back.

_No_...

A Mako, swerving aside from three Brutes, was tackled in the side by a fourth, sending it rolling and bouncing back... straight at Michael. He kicked forth, dropping low and sliding along the gravel as it passed over his head... and then it crushed four soldiers behind the Spectre as they tried to repeat his feat.

_No_...!

A Krogan, ripping the head off a Brute as he stood atop another, cried out his victory as he held up the broken skull of his foe... and then toppled along with the three Marines coming with him as the murderous cross-fire of the Marauders and Cannibals above ripped them asunder.

_No_!

"Keep moving!" Michael cried out in the radio, his visor suddenly covered in orange blood as a Krogan on his left was eviscerated by a Brute. "Don't stop!" Stumbling, he wiped his visor clean as best he could, just in time to see a Banshee tower over him, her head tumbling off as her neck was ripped apart by what could only be Garrus' unerring aim. "No matter what!"

The multitude of husks before him were no longer enemies, they were obstacles, the course ahead his final trial, his final test. _In his ears, he could almost hear his drill Sergeant shout in his ear. "Is that all you got!? You want to be an N-Seven, you better move faster than __that__!"_

Two Husks leapt at him from either side, and Michael surged forward, smashing them aside before throwing himself forth, rolling down between a Brute's legs.

Ahead, a Husk lead the charge, three Brutes in a line behind it... and Michael kicked off from the ground, right foot smashing the Husk's face in, left foot finding its shoulder and _pushing_...

Below, the Brutes stared at him as he flew past their heads...

Only to crash into a group of Husks, sending half a dozen sprawling as another full dozen leapt high to drop upon him.

A beam of blue light, and ten of them fell, everything above their waist burnt to ash. A single shot from a Black Widow, and the other two were sent flying back.

Then Michael was up and running again, tackling three Husks aside as he slashed and cut his way forward, vision blurring from the viscera on his visor and the sweat in his eyes._ Where's everyone else_...?

He turned his head left and right, eyes widening.

Here and there, a squad of Humans or Krogans were running, ploughing their way forward... but the rest were far behind, fighting in desperation to get _anywhere_. Surrounded from all sides, the horde closed its jaws on the wavering centres of resistance while those above continued to fire down on them, pulverising the little islands of troops resisting the waves of filth surrounding them.

Then, the world shook.

Stumbling, Michael looked back ahead... and his knees nearly gave in as the massive shape of Harbinger split the clouds, the Reaper roaring in rage as it slid to a stop, hovering over the ground in front of the Citadel, arms nearly touching the ground as its great yellow eyes took in the battlefield before it.

_No_... _no not now_... _it's too early, not now_!

"**Shepard**."

Its eyes glowed... and Harbinger fired.

_Not now_!

The beams seemingly lunged for him like striking vipers... and then Michael was flying to the right, tumbling across the ground as he caught a brief glimpse of Grunt bathed in yellow light, raising a smouldering arm, lone finger raised towards the Reaper... before he was gone.

_Damn you_!

Crying out in rage, Michael sprang to his feet, the ground around him exploding as what seemed to be every Ravager on the field started shooting down on him.

Around him, Husks and Brutes alike died, a storm of bullets tearing through them in pursuit of the lone Spectre as Harbinger gazed down on him, eyes glowing brighter by the moment. "**Your resistance is at an end, give in to the inevitable**..."

Tali's face flashed before his eyes, and Michael began to sprint._ Never_!

"**You are weak, this game is at an end, die**."

Michael stumbled, a bullet punching through his right hip, another into his left side.

Yet he kept running. _Then kill me_!

He glared up at Harbinger as he tackled aside a Husk, his body screaming in agony, arms and legs like lead as he continued._ It's the only way to stop me_!

Harbinger glared down at him, eyes glowing brighter than the sun._ Do it_!

Harbinger's eyes crackled with energy... twin beams striking out...

And smashing a horde of Husks behind Michael as the Reaper suddenly lurched backwards, dozens of blue beams striking its hull in a bright explosion of light.

Michael grinned at the creature... and then gasped as a Husk bore its claws into his gut before he could smash it aside. _You are no god_! _And your time is over_!

"**My patience is at an end**."

Above, Harbingers' eyes blazed as it raised a massive claw before letting it descend upon Michael...

Before him, a Brute dropped low, ready to charge into him.

Michael crashed through three more Husks, none following him either to his left or his right any more... yet he was _not_ alone.

The Brute fell to a long-range sniper round, head exploding like a ripe melon.

Harbinger never struck, the Reaper pushed to the right of the Citadel as dozens of Thanix beams once more struck the Reaper.

Ahead, the beam to the Citadel loomed large.

"**Insects**! **Every last one of you**!"

Harbinger's words roared in Michael's mind, the Reaper's eyes firing.

"**You dare to try and strike me down**!?"

Behind Michael, there was a loud boom as the Reaper's twin beams scythed through those giving supporting fire, destroying the Grizzly batteries with a single brush of its gaze. _How many died from that_? _How many of my friends_...? It was impossible to know, impossible to focus on, his mind muddled by pain, anger and purpose, even the image of Tali was difficult to conjure up.

Gasping, Michael stumbled, a shot taking him in the right knee.

Yet he kept running, the beam getting ever bigger, the defenders ever sparser as it seemed every round fired from those left behind smashed into anything that barred his path.

Brutes, Husks, Banshees... all fell, crumpling or exploding as an entire army's worth of guns opened up on the area around the beam.

A Marauder appeared from behind a mound of corpses, only for its head to explode.

Husks came at him in waves, only to stumble and fall.

Brutes and Banshees marched upon him, only to falter as they were showered with bullets.

Michael barely noticed it, his steps heavy, yet fast, bringing him ever closer to the beam._ It's so_... _beautiful_. He reached out...

"**NO**!"

Harbinger's words cut into him like a knife, agony rippling through his spine... yet he grinned, the word holding a hint of something other than hatred and maliciousness... _fear_.

"Yes..." He gasped the words, a bullet striking his left shoulder, nearly knocking him onto his back.

Yet he kept moving, running forth.

"**Shepard**! **Stop**!"

He stumbled, agony lacing their way through his legs, his body feeling so _heavy_...

"Never... I... _never_..." Gasping for air, Michael stumbled on, doubling over with pain as a round of bullets took him in the back.

Above, Harbinger's claw was coming down, this time with nothing capable of stopping it, yet it would be too late...

_This is it_...

Michael managed to look up, to smile at the beam, so close he could almost _touch_ it.

"**STOP**!"

Michael stopped.

_NO_!

His legs had stopped too suddenly though, his momentum making him fall forward...

"**NO**!"

Into the beam.

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"Retreat!"

They were streaming back, those that were left, that is.

They had actually made a good team, the Asari biotics hit hard, the Quarian tech equally so, and together they had created enough explosions of biotic, fire, ice and and stunning electricity to kill hundreds of the first Husk troops without a single casualty.

But the Husks had been without end, and the Quarians and Asari little more than two thousand.

So they had started to die.

And without the order even having been given, they had slowly given way, inch by bloody inch being given as people died all around her.

Tali was crying even as she blasted a Husk off its feet. Her visor lay discarded where she'd left it, for what was the point with it now? She had already been infected by the air around her, and though its armour would have been a good protection, if she was to die, she wanted to die with _real_ air on her face.

Not that she overly cared.

_He's going to die_.

It didn't seem real, after what Cerberus had done with him... it seemed _impossible_ to imagine.

Yet it would happen.

_He's going to die, and I'm not with him_.

It was _agony_.

Screaming in frustration, Tali vaulted a broken wall, turned and blew apart another Husk before her omni-tool sent an incineration forth, consuming another two with fire, only for Liara to strike them with a biotic throw, sending the fire in all directions, an explosion consuming another three of the beasts.

Tali felt Liara nod to her, but she didn't offer the Asari as much as a glance. _I __heard__ you, bosh'tet_...

She had to increase the pitch of her audio receptors to do it, but she _had_ heard Liara's parting whisper to Michael, those treasonous words that she had _no_ right telling him at the end of it all.

It had befouled the moment she'd had with Michael, and though her sadness and love for him had filled the void around them, Tali had hated that little seed of hatred in her heart as she'd kissed him._ You ruined my last kiss with him_!

Howling, Tali jumped and landed on her back as two Husks leapt over her cover, her shotgun melted the face off one and her boot crushed the skull of the other as it tried charging the lying Quarian.

Liara offered her hand... and Tali rolled away and onto her feet, snarling as she rubbed the tears out of her face, ducked under a Husk's swing and stabbed her bayonet deep into its chest, lifting it off the ground and heaving it away like the dead weight it had become.

Further off, a Quarian man was on his knees, screaming as he clutched at his face, shattered visor and the claws of a Husk having torn half of it off.

Near him, an Asari was trying to crawl away from the onslaught, purple blood and intestines leaving a long trail behind her.

"Retreat, dammit!" Tali shouted louder, her own feet swiftly bringing her towards the entrenched Turians and Salarians ahead, not really caring whether Liara was with her or not.

Breathless from running, she stumbled to a halt next to a burning Grizzly... and found her eyes widening at the sight below.

The gorge was a boiling sea of husks ripping apart the few groups of Human and Krogan soldiers that were left, fifteen thousand soldiers wiped out in a matter of minutes. Some of the beasts that had killed them were already running up towards the entrenched troops... only to be gunned down. Far of though, Tali saw a lone figure – she knew who it was, no matter the distance – leap into the beam... and disappear.

_No_...

Lowering her shotgun, Tali slumped to her knees.

_He's gone_...

Despair gripped her.

As did a Turian, his grip painful as he grabbed her shoulder. Looking up, Tali found Garrus staring at the beam, a forlorn look in his eyes as he shouldered his smoking rifle. His tone was steady though, calm. "He'll get it done."

"Yeah..." Tali murmured back, lowering her head. _That's what makes me despair_...

"Hmmm... what's Harbinger doing?" Raising her gaze, Tali numbly looked at the massive Reaper she hadn't even noticed, towering over them all.

The great Dreadnought was turning to face the closed Citadel's beam, eyes glowing brightly, in fact, its entire _body_ glowing brightly... as it slowly moved upwards, staring intently at the Citadel, as if trying to see the man inside...

Tali shuddered at the thought, but was too weary to try and figure out the reason for it. "Doesn't matter, he'll activate the Citadel, and then... and then..." She swallowed, her throat unnaturally tight.

Garrus' answer was silence.

His grip tightened for a moment, then relented, moving to grip her under the arm, gently helping her to her feet. He looked at her, eyes roving over her face, making her realise he'd never actually seen it before. He made no comment though, only with his posture, a friendly one, as were his eyes as he spoke with a soft voice. "Heh, though considering how Michael is with tech... damn, maybe we _are_ screwed?"

Tali caught herself giggling at that, a sound holding little amusement and much hysteria, part of her noted. "Ye-yeah, that would be horrible... us losing the battle because he couldn't find the 'on' button..."

"Don't think about it." Garrus snapped, and Tali sensed he didn't mean the joke. "He'd want you to survive." Tali squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to hear it, but Garrus' words cut deep none the less. "So _survive_."

_As Michael says, make it worth it_...

_Make his_... _sacrifice_... _worth it_.

_I_... _I_...

Tali shuddered, wanting nothing but to lie down, to let the oncoming hordes tear her apart, to spare herself the pain of yet _another_ loved one perishing.

_To let his death mean less than he wishes_...

Tali stopped shuddering.

_Right, that's not happening_.

She opened her eyes, turning her gaze to Garrus... and whatever he saw there made the Turian pause before he offered a short nod.

Tali nodded back, then hefted her shotgun up and turned her gaze to the approaching horde.

Narrowing her eyes, she walked to meet them.

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson, for hanging in there._


	68. Chapter 68

_My God_...

"Do I want to know?"

_They're_..._they're_...

"Jeff?"

"What?" Joker blinked, eyes darting from the view outside, from the information on his instruments, from the growing horror of a disaster. Instead, he turned his gaze to Chakwas, now propped up in the co-pilot seat, the doctor having a veritable pharmacy in her lap, ready to treat him further if need be. Joker's shirt was off, though it was hard to tell, given the amount of bandages and poultices covering his chest and arms. He was nearly high on the painkillers and other drugs injected into him, yet Joker had dealt with them long enough for the effect to be dulled, and Chakwas hadn't dare giving him too much, in case the crippled Normandy for some reason would need its pilot. "You mean the battle?"

"Yes, Jeff, the battle." Chakwas replied, turning her gaze from the darkness outside to shoot him a look.

"Yeah..." Joker grimaced, looking back out the window. "...no, you don't want to know."

Silence descended upon them.

Unable to help himself, Joker turned his gaze back at the instruments, trying to assess the damage.

The Batarian, Hanar and Elcor ships were gone, meaning their races had been driven nearly to extinction in a matter of a few hours.

The ships that had come from all over the Terminus, once so numerous they had nearly made up half the allied fleet, were now but a few crippled vessels vainly trying to retreat.

The Alliance ships, well lead by Hackett, had somehow managed to pull away from the jaws of destruction, and though not even half of the Admirals ships remained, those that did were still in the fight as they sought shelter among the still intact Quarian ships, the Geth ships and the Crucible.

With them, a few Turian vessels had retreated as well, but the majority of the survivors had hidden in a second group together with what remained of the Asari vessels. Neither fleet had more than a third of its numbers remaining.

The third group was the Salarian ships, having avoided the brunt of the initial Reaper attack, they were still somewhat intact as they tried to fall back and leave Reaper sensor range.

_They're trying to flee_...

Joker clenched his fists tight at the sight, at the _treachery_... but there was little he could do. _That Dalatrass bitch will __pay_...

Not that the Reapers were allowing flight. The Salarian fleet was constantly hounded by Reaper Destroyers, the numerous little spiders slowly nipping away at the Salarian's numbers as Frigate after Frigate and Cruiser after Cruiser succumbed.

The other two groups were having a worse time though.

The Asari ships were boxed in, orders and and the sheer _number_ of enemies stopping them from using their manoeuvring capabilities to effect. By now the only thing stopping the Reapers from utterly destroying the Asari fleet was the Turian vessels with them, their stronger armour and shields allowing them to hold the enemy off just a little more... and that protection being paid with ship after ship, _thousands_ dying every minute as the Reapers tightened their grip on the largely crippled fleet they were surrounding.

The Alliance fleet with its Turian allies was largely crippled too, but the Geth ships with them were paying heed to any Oculi attacking the large group, and the Quarian fleet, while old, was firing effective volleys under Hackett's orders, crippling or destroying the nearest threat to their group, and more specifically, the _Crucible_.

_Come on, Michael_... _we're_ _dying_ _up_ _here_...

Even as Joker watched, there was a bright light of yellow ahead, his instruments showing how the second of the three Quarian Liveships saved the Crucible from a volley of Reaper fire by placing itself in its path, their crimson beams cutting the ship nearly in half.

Joker had, for the sake of morale for the exhausted people in the ship dealing with the damages to the Normandy, turned the radio to private setting, making sure everything reached only his earpiece... yet that didn't help _his_ morale while listening.

Hackett was barking orders, though static was breaking them up to the point that Joker couldn't understand them, leaving him to _hope_ the other ships had a better reception. Mostly though, the radio was filled with SOS's, with the cries of captains crying for help as they were destroyed, with glum reports of entire packs of Frigates being destroyed and Cruisers breaking apart.

_We can't hold_...

Then, there was a sudden shift in the battle, a surge of Reaper Dreadnoughts turning, abandoning their targets... heading for the _Crucible_...

_No_! The ships around the construct were pulling back, their fire intense, tearing apart two Dreadnoughts in a matter of moments as they heedlessly threw themselves in the teeth of the allied fire... yet they _kept_ coming...

And the defenders began to die.

_Why are they suddenly_... Clearing his throat, Joker managed to raise his voice. "EDI... has Michael reached the beam?"

"Affirmative." The words of the AI crackled a bit, the Normandy's speakers damaged.

Chakwas breathed a sigh in relief. "Good, with him with a team on the Citadel it's only a matter of time until-"

"No, Doctor." EDI interrupted. "He was the _only_ one reaching it, all other troops attempting the assault were killed."

_NO_! "A-and you...?" Joker hardly dared breathing, let alone ask the question. "...you're okay...?"

"I'm... functioning." EDI replied after a brief pause. "My platform was with the troops giving supporting fire."

Joker wiped his forehead in relief, ignoring the jab of agony in his chest from performing that simple task, as well as Chakwas' disapproving frown. "Okay, that's great, and you're... what do you _mean_... functioning?" He frowned, afraid.

"I took some damage during Harbinger's attack, nothing that cannot be repaired after the battle." EDI replied, though her voice wavered, making Joker tense up. "Though the risk of further damage is near a hundred percent..." _No_... Joker's eyes widened. "Jeff, we're surrounded and they're..." The AI's voice broke, _afraid_. "...they're _everywhere_, Jeff..."

Ignoring Chakwas' embarrassed look, Joker looked up at where he knew EDI's camera in the cockpit was, blinking as tears filled his eyes. "H-hey... you promised me yo-you'd bring me a so-souvenir, remember? Y-you can't d-die..."

"I...I..." It was not like EDI to hesitate, to not know what to say...and Joker felt a vice close around his heart as the tears began to fall. "...I might have to break that promise..."

Joker knew what to say though, although the words were but a whisper. "I love you..."

"I... I love you too."

_Michael_... _please_... _save_ _us_...

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He was falling.

Falling upwards.

Through light.

Then down.

Through darkness.

For an eternity, he fell.

Then, he stopped, agony lacing through his heavy body as he struck the ground.

It hurt.

Everywhere, he was hurting.

His body felt indistinct, a cloud of pain.

And his mind swirled, dizzy, darkness gripping at him, clawing him deeper into an abyss.

A voice, female, yet cold, words coming from so far away it might as well have been another world. "Airborne toxins detected, sealing helmet, re-breather deployed."

_Just lie here, rest_... _just for a little while_...

_Can't_...

_You're hurting, you need rest, you can't fight like this_...

_Fight_? _I must_... _fight_!

His eyes jerking open, Michael lurched up to his knees, hand coming down to his hip, tugging hard, jerking his pistol free from the metal that had lodged it stuck to his armour and flesh.

Before him, the pistol deployed as he gripped it with both hands, all else around him blurry as he swung it about, scanning for a target and only seeing mottled brown and yellow.

Blinking, Michael reached up to rub his eyes, only to find his hands touching the re-breather in his helmet.

Instead, he shook his head, his brain throbbing with the movement, making him grit his teeth to stave off the agony, yet his vision cleared.

_Where_... _am_ _I_?

Around him, smooth walls of steel covered in a sheen of brown mucus were all smooth curves, sealing him into a large metal cylinder. Ahead, metal rungs lead upwards, towards a closed door of black steel a scant dozen feet above his head. Further up, the walls converged, joining into a metal ring forming a hole no larger than a head, a dim yellow light emanating from the darkness within.

_Wait_... _I know what this is_...

Back when Kai Leng had escaped the Cerberus coup attempt on the Citadel, they had tried finding him in the deep bowels of the Citadel, checking service tunnels and...

_Why am I in a Keeper protein vat_?

The air was thick with yellow fumes, swirling clouds of it, seemingly tugging at his armour, wanting entrance. Dark red and black objects the size of Michael's palm were also in the air, so thin they resembled snow flakes... and moving ever upwards, towards the hole and the darkness within. It was like it was snowing upwards, the clouds a solid mass of...

_Holy_...!

Leaping to his feet, Michael stared at the 'floor', eyes wide.

The bottom of the vat was nothing but a carpet of bodies, layer upon layer of naked men and women, the dark flakes coming up from somewhere beneath them. All had their eyes wide open, seemingly dead and seeing nothing... but as Michael watched, he saw chests heave with slow breaths...

Michael's hand moved up, touching his re-breather as the horror of what was happening dawned upon him.

Even as he watched, one of the bodies slumped lower, skin and muscles melting, sending a cloud of dark matter upwards as a bubbling green liquid appeared where the body had lain. The remaining bodies shifted as that happened, Michael's solid foothold breaking apart as the liquid melted flesh and bone.

Michael stood transfixed, trying to calculate how many must have been in the vat from the start, how many of the billions of Reaper prisoners had been melted into nothing... and the answer was far too easy._ All of them_...

It was the Collector base all over again, but at a far grander scale, people immobilised in the billions, piled up on those already being melted... an industry of genocide.

Michael narrowed his eyes. _No_... _not_ genocide... _corruption_. He knew what the Reapers intended for those melted down.

Above, there was a hiss, making Michael look up and see the door there opening, a Keeper silently appearing and beginning to climb down the metal rungs, seemingly oblivious to him.

Growling, then groaning, Michael's leap for the rungs became a stumble, his body wracked with agony.

Still, he reached them, hands shaking as he began to climb up, the people beneath sizzling as they were finally consumed. Ahead, the Keeper didn't even seem to see him as it climbed to meet him... and Michael stopped it with his free hand shooting up to grab its throat, glaring at it.

The Keeper looked back, no intelligence in its big eyes, no mind, only darkness._ An empty Shell_... Michael blinked, watching the Keeper look down at him... and then eased his grip on it, gently pushing it aside as he struggled onwards._ That won't happen again_. Grunting, his fingers closed around the edge of the doorway, crying out in agony as he slowly pulled himself through it. _It won't_!

Huffing as he dropped onto all fours, Michael tasted blood in his mouth as spikes of agony danced across his stricken body. He managed to speak though, although it was more of a croak than actual words. "Suit, diagnostics."

The female voice of his armour's VI instantly replied, though the voice was hushed, as if it daren't speak too loudly. _Okay_... _the_ _VI's_ _scared_... _then_ _you_ _know_ _it's_ _bad_..."Shield generator offline, replacement needed." _Okay, didn't need that anyway_. "Armour integrity at thirty percent, bullet punctures sealed." _So no good now, but saved my life, no reason to complain there_. "Exoskeleton at ten percent efficiency."_ So no punching heads off Brutes, good to know_. "All medi-gel and anaesthesia deployed, medical systems unresponsive." _Wow, and I'm still in agony_?_ I thought I've taken more of a beating before_... _lousy Alliance outsourcing_... "User injuries substantial, seek medical aid immediately, death likely within an hour." _More than enough time, no reason to fret_...

Groaning, Michael pushed against the floor, his body suddenly so heavy his arms shook with the strain... yet he managed to come to his knees, and then – grabbing a hold of the nearest wall – to push himself to his feet and raise his head.

What he saw made him forget the agony though, his jaw clenching tight as anger began to boil in his veins. _Monsters_...

Next to him, and from all over the Citadel, black tubes shimmering with sickly yellow lights, moved. Like the tentacles of some sea creature, these tubes attached to the Keeper protein vats all across the Citadel were reaching towards the centre of the Citadel, for the creatures dwelling there.

The majority of the Citadel was held in darkness, all the lights of the once magnificent city gone. Yet the glow of the tentacles threw an ominous light wherever they moved, and a brighter blue light was escaping the top of the Council tower, a glow of _power_... and all too well illuminating what was outside it.

Three Reaper Dreadnoughts and several dozen Destroyers, curled up like babies in a mother's womb, were slowly spinning around the Council tower, seemingly weightless. None was truly finished, their figures more skeletal than they should be, their armoured plating a bloody red that seemed to ripple and shift with unseen currents, all of it held in place by shimmering yellow lights as the Citadel's tentacles gently stroked their surface, pouring more crimson content upon them, slowly making them grow in size and turn ever more dark.

They were creatures of blood, the blood of _billions_, slowly taking form before Michael's eyes.

_How can I triumph against such_... _power_?

His agony returning a hundred fold, Michael gripped tight onto the wall, lowering his head and closing his eyes as despair took hold, wrenching his will from him.

Yet with his eyes closed... he suddenly found himself hearing two things he hadn't heard before.

It wasn't the Keepers moving about their alien tasks, or the tentacles moving over their growing babies, for those were as silent as shadows.

It was in his head, yet not the usual voices.

One was a multitude of screams, the shrieks of people in pain, of billions giving voice to their agony... softly echoing in Michael's skull. Yet as Michael listened, the screams were slowly converging, slowly turning into one, into a single beat, into a dark _voice_...

It was the sound of the birth of Reapers.

The other was a soft hum, barely touching his consciousness.

It was calling to him, imploring a part of him to approach... yet at the same time another part recoiled from it, as if burnt, hurting from its very existence.

The sound was coming from the Council tower.

Opening his eyes, Michael looked over to it, its tip glowing as bright as a star... and straightened, his skin prickling as agony again and again rippled through him.

Despair clawed at his heart._ It's a long way there_...

Defiance made it swell. _Yet I'll get there_...

Agony raced through him with every step, weariness turning his legs to stone and his mind so dizzy he could barely see, Michael began to limp towards the tower...

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_Thanks to Abydos Jackson, for the past, and for the future._


	69. Chapter 69

A thousand and eight steps.

That was what it had taken to reach the top of the Citadel tower.

Each one heavier than the next.

Each one more painful.

Each one assailing him with doubt.

_I don't want to die_...

_The Geth deserve better_...

_I want to build a house on Rannoch_...

_I want to taste peace_...

_I want to see Tali one more time_...

_I want to go drinking with Garrus_...

_I want to see Liara smile just once_...

_I want to know everything will be okay_...

_I don't want to die_.

Yet on he climbed.

Body wracked with pain, so dizzy he could barely see, pistol like a great weight in his hand, dragging him down.

None opposed him.

The screams of billions of people echoed in the back of his mind. A chorus, almost beautiful in its majesticness, yet horrifying in its growing darkness, in how the voices slowly warped from screams of pain to wails of rage...

The hum ahead was growing, singing to him, _calling_ him... yet hurting him, driving spikes of agony through his skull until white lights danced in front of his eyes, nearly driving him to his knees.

Yet he climbed on.

_Tali_...

Gasping, Michael stumbled forward, hand barely catching him in the doorway as he dimly realised he'd reached the top of the stairs.

_I'm so tired_...

Too exhausted to be surprised, he stared down at a Marauder lying on its back just inside of the doorway. The husk stared back at him with dead eyes, the edges of its armour fraying, smoke lazily rising from it, as if it was slowly burning away from the inside.

Michael knew all too well how that felt like.

Groaning, he clutched his head with his free hand. His spine and skull were on _fire_, little ants crawling over them, spreading agony wherever they went.

_Can't breathe_...

Each laboured breath sent waves of fire through his lungs, his injuries burning with equal fervour, consuming his nerves with pain.

Yet he moved on, gingerly stepping past the smoking Marauder, eyes scanning his surroundings for any of its comrades, there was no such thing as _one_ husk, after all.

None were there though, the chamber silent as a tomb.

Silent save for the calling, the song driving icy pain through his mind while asking him to come closer.

The lower part of the Council Chamber still sported a fountain, the fountain in which Michael had once dumped a Geth in his fight versus Saren, in another life.

Now it was empty though, the water drained away, nothing but cold metal at the bottom.

_Can't take another step_...

Yet he moved his foot forward, then the other, limping past the fountain, up the stairs. Gingerly, slowly, struggling forward as each step became a struggle, dim eyes turning left and right, trying to find opposition and finding none.

The pillars in the central chamber remained, silent sentries so polished they reflected his broken figure back to him. The floor was equally clean, as if there had never been a struggle for control of the chamber, or even been _people_ there for hundreds of years...

The garden in the centre was gone though, stones, trees and grass replaced by an empty hole.

Inching closer, Michael looked down into the hole, seeing only darkness, an endless abyss.

_To fall in, to just_... _lose yourself into the nothing_...

_All it would take is one step_...

Michael leant forward, almost feeling a pressure at his back, pushing forward... and then gasped, taking a step backwards with eyes wide, shaking his head.

_Focus_... _dammit_... _focus_!

It was hard though, so _hard_... his mind a jumble of images from the Council, of feelings. Anger, frustration, sadness, worry, hatred, pain... the feelings of old washed over him, making his knees shake as they threatened to drive him onto the floor with their weight.

_Now, focus on the now_...

But he didn't want to, the now was painful, frightening... and oh so short.

_It's not fair_...

Tali's voice, a whisper at the edge of his mind. "_I know, life isn't fair_..."

Gritting his teeth, Michael pulled himself away from the past, from the darkness ahead... and into the agony awaiting him in the present as he forced himself to step around the hole, to limp towards the final set of stairs.

Only a few steps... yet too many... every step up signifying yet more agony through limbs and mind.

_I can't_... _I __can't_...!

He fell.

On his knees, he wept, body wracked with agony, everything so _heavy_... legs simply having given up.

From beyond the grave, his old self spoke to him. "_Unacceptable_..."

So he reached up with his right hand, grasping a hold of a railing... and _pulled_, his body falling forward, prone as his left hand reached up... and _pulled_.

Slowly, inch by bloody inch, he pulled himself up the stairs.

Reaching the top, he gasped for air, his body on fire, burning with agony, chilled to the bone with weariness.

He looked back, and saw his passage clearly, a trail of crimson blood, a small trickle, his blood leaving a path across the Council chamber and beyond, for over a thousand painful steps.

He felt each drop of lost blood, the emptiness in his veins... and his mind swam with dizziness.

_I can't_...

Garrus' voice, a whisper. "_Don't worry, buddy, I've got your back_."

As if in a dream, Michael found himself rising to his feet, nearly feeling an arm under his, pulling him up.

Ahead, the Councillors' spots were empty, the window behind showing a Reaper of blood and viscera slowly drift by, its body rippling like a sea.

The walkway leading forward for dignitaries to stand on still stood, its end had been pierced by what seemed to be a giant Dragon's tooth, the smooth metal rising from the dead garden beneath.

It was from the Dragon's tooth the light came, a pale blue light that seemed to vibrate around the cold spike of Reaper tech. Yet despite the harsh light, Michael could look at it, marvel at its smooth structure and alien light.

In comparison, the black column standing next to it was ugly.

Covered in cracks, the column, rectangular in shape, rose up to the spike's left. Growths reached out from it, almost resembling roots as they organically reached out, gripping a hold of the spike... though several of them had already lost their grip on it, as if the glow of the spike was slowly pushing the black foulness trying to grip it away.

Yet for its ugliness, it was the column that sang to Michael, calling him closer... and at the same time making his mind swim with agony.

Body swaying, Michael took a step forward, reaching the beginning of the walkway and gripping on tight to the railing.

That's when a light appeared on his right.

Vision blurry, Michael turned his head and aimed his pistol at the light... only to blink and lower his gun at the sight of the green hologram facing him, the hologram taking the shape of a Prothean with his hands behind his back. "Greetings, I'm Lightbringer." The accent was so close to Javik's... it might as well have been the same Prothean speaking.

Michael, swaying where he stood, turned his head, looking at the dark column waiting for him. "That's the tech you installed to stop the Reapers, right? To activate the Catalyst and fire the Crucible?" He turned back to regard the hologram, wanting to be _sure_... and struggling against the growing pain in his skull.

For a moment, the hologram paused, regarding him, as if considering his state, then it nodded. "Yes."

"Good." Michael lurched forward, a gasp escaping him with the first step, his grip so tight on the railing he heard it creak despite the agony shooting up his spine.

"_However_..." The hologram spoke, making Michael pause, all too thankful not to have to feel yet more pain with another step just yet. "... I have been at liberty to study this Reaper tech for fifty thousand years, and I have detected an alternative solution."

Doubling over where he stood, Michael's body shook, pain like a cloak around him, dragging him down. His words were but a hiss. "Explain..."

"The energy of the Citadel is meant to control the Relays and the Keepers, and to an extent, the organics finding it." The hologram replied, making Michael frown in confusion._ That's not_... _I don't think_... _God_... _it hurts so much_... "The energy can be relayed to the Catalyst differently, bouncing it back for a more precise hit on the Reapers."

"Explain." Michael gasped the word, the pistol in one hand resting on the floor, as were his knees, as the other struggled to pull him up.

"The Reaper intelligence comes from all its connections within those organics distilled into it, the beam can sever those in the Reapers, and _only_ the Reapers." The hologram replied. "The Reapers will become little more than machines, tools which _you_ can control."

_Wait_... "So... the Illusive Man was right?"

"Correct."

_B-but if he was right_... d_oesn't that mean I'm the indoctrinated one_? _And if I'm indoctrinated, I can't defeat the Reapers, they'll stop me_. _But if he was the indoctrinated one, how could he_... Gasping for air, Michael's hand moved up, rubbing his head as a spike of agony shot through it, tearing his line of thoughts asunder. _I_... _neither of us was indoctrinated, that's it_... The pain relented, and slowly, he managed to rise to his feet. "And why is this good?"

"Besides gaining control of the most powerful machines in the galaxy? Capable of making sure you always save the day? To make sure you'll _never_ fail again...?" Michael looked at the hologram, the words making him take a step forward. _Never to fail again_... Frowning, he shook his head. _No, no, I set out to __destroy__ them, I can't risk_...

PAIN!

Suddenly back onto his knees, skull throbbing, Michael heard the hologram as if through a thick fog. "The Geth would survive, intact, a true people, thanks to you. EDI would continue to function, losing nothing."

_Not in vain_... _my_ _efforts_... _not_ _in_ _vain_...

Moaning, Michael crawled forward a step, pain lacing its way down his spine. _It sounds too good_... _it's_...

PAIN!

"You yourself would survive. I've detected several Reaper implants in you, without them, you'll die. Through my option, you can live on."

Gasping, his vision swimming, Michael used both hands to pull himself to his feet, vision barely capable of focusing on the hologram. "I'll... live?" It seemed impossible, a dream.

The hologram nodded though, smiling. "Indeed, you'll be free to go to your mate, Tali'Zorah, is it?"

"How...?" Michael slumped against the railing, but his gaze was intent, fixed on the hologram, drinking in the sight of it, its words.

"How I'm aware of all this?" The Prothean hologram finished for him, smiling reassuringly. "You have the Cipher of our people, connecting to such minds is one of my primary functions."

"Ah..." Michael nodded. "So... Reapers live on, but so do I and the Geth?" He groaned, it was difficult to _think_, his mind moving to a murky river of pain. "Isn't there... a risk...? The Reapers could... it could..." _I must know, I must_... _I can't buy that it'll be so good_... _it can't be_...

Again, the hologram paused, regarding him, as if considering its options. "There's _always_ a risk, sir. However, it's minimal, and with you in control, they're _hardly_ a threat..." Again, that reassuring smile. "What's such a risk compared to surviving? For living Geth? For being more powerful than any organic in history, capable of setting everything _right_? For _years_ of happiness with your mate?"

"Nothing..." Michael whispered, his throat tight.

_But do I dare risk it_? _All my efforts, all I've done, has been to destroy them. So many sacrificed, and now I'm willing to gamble my victory_? _Is_... _is_ _that_ _right_? _I_... _I_ _shouldn't_...

PAIN!

Blind with pain for a moment, Michael held on to the railing and struggled to remain standing. When he could see again, the hologram was smiling at him... and he found himself smiling back. "Thank you." _No more pain_... _I deserve this_... _to_ _finally_ _take_ _the_ _easier_ _choice_...

Suddenly light-headed, Michael turned, staggering forward, the pain easing just slightly as he finally made up his mind. _To do something that's right for __me_...

Behind him, the hologram's voice was calm, gentle, urging him on. "All you need to do is to touch the spike, sir."

_Not the difficult path, not the difficult decision, no, I want the good one_...

Ahead, the spike loomed close, smooth and perfect, beautiful, the dark column next to it a foul cancer compared to it.

_Come to me_...

Michael stumbled, body wracked with pain as the song in his mind danced across his nerves, setting his body aflame with agony.

_I don't want to take the riskless choice again, I want to take the choice right by me. I deserve this, I don't want to take another selfless decision again_... _not for so little as certainty_..._not when I can live_..._not when I can be happy_...

He was close, reaching out...

And then, Tali came to him, the image of her shape in a doorway before him, soft words spoken in another lifetime, words that broke him and then remade him, words now whispering into his mind. "_Michael_.. ._such_ _selflessness_... _only_ _exists_ _in_ _a_ _good_ _man_."

And Michael felt a cold shiver run down his spine as his hand turned...

_Tali_... Closing his eyes, Michael wept. ..._forgive_ _me_.

He touched the dark column next to the spike.

"**NO**!"

The roar was agony, making Michael stumble back, dropping onto his knees as he stared at the column coming to life, the cracks within glowing a bright green, green seeping through the roots clinging to the spike, warping its blue light into a dark green one...

And a voice, speaking from within the column. "Organic presence detected, Reaper presence detected, Crucible presence detected, transferring energy and preparing to fire. Long live the Empire."

A flood of relief shot through Michael's stricken form, making him smile even as he turned his head to regard the hologram behind him.

Glowing yellow, Harbinger's shape glared down at him. "**You fool! What have you done**!?"

"B-beaten you..." Michael gasped, grinning back at it.

"**You'll die for this, organic**!" Harbinger roared, every word agony in Michael's mind.

Yet he smiled back, so relieved he barely felt it. "Unlike Reapers... survival isn't everything to us."

With that, he turned his gaze back to the sight before him, watching the spike glow ever brighter with green energy, the light searing his skin, making his body shake with agony.

Yet, so beautiful he couldn't take his eyes off it...

"**Stop this**!" Harbinger roared, making Michael wince. **"Destroy the Prothean filth**!"

His arm shaking, Michael found himself bringing his pistol to bear upon the column, his eyes widening in horror. "No!"

"**Shoot it**!"

Michael squeezed the trigger.

A crack appeared along the length of the column, centred around the bullet hole in its centre.

The light struggled for a moment, then steadied, growing brighter...

"**AGAIN**!"

"NEVER!" Michael's free hand shot up, grabbing his right by the wrist and pulling hard, making the shot miss by an inch.

"**I said, destroy it**!" Harbinger's order rang through Michael's skull like the imperative to a computer... yet he gripped tightly onto his arm, holding it at bay as another bullet was fired, striking the walkway he knelt on.

"I will _not_!" Pulling, screaming, Michael forced the gun further away, his arm bending despite Harbinger's imperative.

"**DO IT**!" The gun fired, uselessly hitting a wall in the distance as Michael forced it further up.

Ahead, the energy coiled and writhed like a living thing, turning critical.

"I _won't_!" Michael forced the gun up to his temple, holding it there.

"**Damn you, Shepard! Die**!"

Michael's finger curled around the trigger... his eyes wide as he tried to conjure up the one image he wanted, the one he _needed_.

_Tali_...

To his horror, it wouldn't come.

And then the energy shot forth, a spear of green light, smashing the window ahead asunder, past the growing Reapers, towards the gap between two of the Citadel's arms as they began to open, _out_...

"**NOOOOO**!"

Harbinger's roar echoed in Michael's mind.. .and the pistol uselessly fell to the floor next to him. On his knees, he stared out into space, watching the shaft of light shoot forth between the stars. His lips were cracked and dry, yet smiling, whispering. "_Yes_..."

Then, the light stopped, meeting its target... and _bloomed_.

Outwards, the web of green energy shot out, a great blast, larger than any sun, growing in all directions with unimaginable speed.

Around him, the Citadel was opening even as it began to list, the energy that had kept it floating spent, sending it crashing towards Earth.

Yet the energy was faster, coming at them, unstoppable.

Harbinger cried out in terror.

Michael, still on his knees, opened his arms wide and closed his eyes.

This time, the image came to him perfectly, filling his heart with love.

_Tali_...

Darkness took him.

8

8

8

Tali's string of profanities would have made a Batarian slaver proud.

Leaping aside, she barely dodged a fusillade of Ravager fire shot from a position she couldn't see due to all the dust kicked up by the brutal battle, the explosions tearing apart the mounds of dirt and corpses the Quarian had used for cover.

Instead, Tali ducked into the broken remains of a Grizzly, standing on its side and with its armour shredded, it resembled more of a shed than a tank now.

Within, a Husk, claws dripping with blood, roared at her.

Tali's kick struck it in the head, caving in its skull and sending it to the ground with a dying hiss.

Ducking low, Tali struggled with her omni-tool as she pulled free a dozen small metal orbs. Chiktikka might have been destroyed on Thessia, but that didn't mean Tali didn't know how to make a combat drone... and these one were just about... _ready_!

From whence she'd come, a dozen Husks came running at her, growling.

Tali threw the orbs at them, omni-tool glowing...and the orbs came alive, each becoming a small ball of glowing silver, flamethrowers roaring, burning the Husks to cinder in the blink of an eye before hurtling onwards for more targets.

A Brute, crashing down atop the tank, tore open Tali's ceiling, glaring down at her with big red eyes.

Snarling back, Tali hurled an incineration into its face, then fully melted its face off with a blast from her shotgun.

As the Brute fell off Tali's cover, the Quarian looked around, some of her anger replaced by horror as she viewed the battlefield around her.

By the tank, Jondum Bau lay, his big eyes seeing nothing as he lay in a pool of his own blood, probably the last Salarian on the field to fall. Tali was pretty sure she was the last Quarian on the battlefield as well... as for Asari...

Further off, Liara came stumbling towards her, the Asari bleeding from a wound to her hip, turning her white armour purple. Behind her, a Brute came stomping after her, claw raised to strike.

Tali raised her shotgun... and to her disgust, hesitated to save the Asari as the old jealousy gripped her heart.

Instead, Shiala came hurtling forth like a biotic arrow, smashing into the Brute and toppling it over, her punch snapping its neck even as its claw sliced her open from collar to crotch, the two dying in a deadly embrace.

_Keelah_! _Get it together_! Tali found Liara stumble down to join her in her cover, the Asari giving her a confused look, only for Tali to answer by looking away with a snort.

But looking away made her spot EDI. _Keelah_..!

The AI pulled herself into the tank, her thighs shredded, everything beneath gone. Her eyes were calm though, the gun in her hand twitching as she rolled to sit against a wall and begun firing at a distant target. "All tactical options have been exhausted."

"Tell me something I don't know." Victus growled, the Turian suddenly appearing from around the corner, practically carrying Garrus as the blood-covered Turian staggered on next to him. "Here, take care of this lout." The Primarch grunted, though he was gentle as he dropped Garrus down next to the AI with a grumble. "Fool thought to take a bullet for me, damn Vakarians, always trying to be heroes, I ought to-"

Victus never finished the sentence, his body dropping down across Garrus' legs, the back of his head a mess of broken bones, plates and blue blood as enemy fire began raking their position.

Growling, Tali gripped Garrus by the arm and pulled him further into their shelter, EDI crawling in to join them as she, Liara and Tali turned their guns outwards, shooting at anything appearing in their sights. "Hey, wake up!" Tali kicked Garrus in the side... and the Turian groaned as he, without really being completely awake, sat up and used Tali's back for support as he brought his rifle up to shoot.

The four of them, kneeling or sitting back to back in the remains of a tank, shooting at endless monsters outside... that was what the battle had descended to.

Yet not quite, for Tali's radio crackled into life, a Turian's voice shouting. "The Primarch is down! Victus is down!"

A roar, echoing through the dust-covered battlefield, and guns roared into life everywhere, shooting with yet more intensity, culling the monsters charging at them.

It wouldn't be enough though.

_Keelah_... _we're__going__to__die_...

Blindly reaching back, Tali grasped Garrus' hand, and he gripped hers tightly.

That's when it started to rain.

Tali blinked, having never felt rain...it was warmer than she thought it would be... warm and... sticky?

Someone gasped as Tali looked up... and she found her eyes widening.

The clouds were parting before the Citadel as the massive construct opened like a flower, yet it was still raining... and Tali shuddered as she realised _what_ was raining.

_Blood_...

Above, giant Reapers, crimson red, of human blood, hovered within the opening Citadel. They were melting though, their blood sloughing off and pouring down, raining down upon the battlefield below.

_Ancestors have mercy_...

The battlefield forgotten, Tali simply stared, entranced as she saw a shaft of green light shoot out from the Citadel tower, up into the dark sky.

Harbinger, giving away a wordless roar, turned to fly at the Citadel tower, claws poised to strike...

The Reapers within the Citadel came loose and began to fall towards the battlefield... towards _Tali_.

And she could only stare.

Then, the green light exploded far above, growing large, _larger_...

Harbinger roared again, the light striking it...and turning it to ash without the giant Reaper even slowing it down.

And Tali could only stare.

The Reapers came hurtling at her... and then the light struck them too, turning the rain of blood to one of black ash.

Then the light washed over Tali...and she felt nothing. She simply heard a loud roar... before the battlefield went silent, the fighting ending in one fell swoop.

Yet she couldn't take her eyes off the Citadel, her shocked mind finally catching up... and grief gripped her tightly as she stared at the Citadel tower.

_Michael_...

With a boom, the tower exploded, then the ring holding the whole construct together.

Garrus' grip tightened on her hand, yet Tali only stared, numb to the world.

First it had opened like a flower, now the Citadel was destroyed like one, petals spinning through the air as its arms were hurled away by the destruction of its centre. The impact of them striking the ground all around the battle that had been waged under the Citadel's shadow was enough to shake the very foundation of the world.

Yet Tali could only stare at where the Citadel tower had stood not a moment before.

The blood on her face was running as her tears joined it.

_Michael_... _no_...

Everywhere, cheers rose high as ash rained down on her face.

Before a gust of air brushed it all away, all but the tears.

Tali kept looking up though, clenching tight at Garrus' hand as the Turian stared up with her.

_Oh Michael_...

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for the hours, if not days, of dedicated work to not only aid me, but to inspire me. Truly, she's a prize._


	70. Epilogue

It was a beautiful day.

Above, the sun was lording over a cloudless sky, baking the brown cliffs covering the horizon in all visible directions with its heat as winds brushed against them, caressing them with little whirlwinds of purple pollen that shimmered when they caught the light. Below the cliffs, the sea glittered like a pool of sapphires as it reflected the warm sun.

Yet the house atop the ridge was cool.

Built of dark wood – a luxury for Quarians until they'd reclaimed Rannoch – it was a one-storey structure. Yet it was large, using up far more space than anyone born on the Flotilla could _ever_ need...but space was a luxury everyone could afford now. Inside, there were few walls, instead most 'rooms' were simply separated by drapes in purple and orange, the very same ones that had been aboard the Rayya, a reminder of more innocent times.

It was a dream unfulfilled, and a monument more personal than the ones that had been erected to a single man's honour on dozens of worlds, a private side that no public were allowed to see, or if they did, couldn't comprehend.

The house's balcony was equally cool, the ceiling covered in purple ivy letting but a pink echo of sunlight through and the breeze cooling the lone sentinel standing under the pink shadow, silently leaning against the bannister and gazing across the sea.

Tali was dressed in the popular Quarian fashion, a complex weave of veils in different shades of purple that held a loose fit, covering her chest and hips, but little else...like most, she had taken to devouring the feel of the world on her skin, of _freedom_.

At least she wore such garb when on Rannoch, which wasn't often.

The house behind her was silent, no adopted children or dogs making sounds, no friends coming to celebrate the birthday of a dead man...though they no doubt did so wherever they were, quietly, not the loud holiday a every galactic species – save the ever-bitter Batarians, or rather, what was left of them – held to celebrate their saviour.

Yet Tali's thoughts wasn't on that, or if it was, she wasn't about to admit it to herself.

Nor on what she was watching, the building of gleaming steel far away that would become a power-plant – it looked like a waterfall as it connected to the sea and ran up the cliff, the top yet not finished by the diligent Geth workers – representing how Liara hadn't been completely correct with her predictions.

For while the beam had killed Michael – and if it hadn't, the destruction of the Citadel surely had – and had killed what parts of EDI still lingered on the Normandy, it hadn't quite eradicated the Geth.

When struck, they had gone offline for a full ten seconds – an eternity for an AI – but then they'd come back as they loaded up old data and old code, re-setting...becoming what they had once been. They hadn't sought vengeance for their loss though, for that would require a thirst for revenge. They had instead understood Michael's difficulty, and forgiven him, though if they were capable of such a thing in their current state, Tali was unsure. What she _did_ understand was how they had chosen to focus on rebuilding, to regain what had been lost in the battle for Earth...to become what they had once been...it had been an inspiration to many in the wake of the devastating war.

More so, how the Quarians had _let_ them do that. For with the Reaper code gone, the Geth were just as vulnerable as they had been before to the Quarian's super-weapon designed for them...and their organic allies had chosen _not_ to deploy it. Instead, they had continued with the Geth's old suggestion with rebuilding together, to form a joint existence...the wounds of the old war had been healed by the new, forging a closer bond between creator and created than ever before.

That was part of what dwelt on Tali's mind, the current state of the galaxy.

And since she had spent two years as the joint Quarian-Geth representative on the Council – that was before she had resigned, before she had been, in her own mind, _promoted_ – Tali had more than a good insight into the current political situation as well as what the future held.

For the war had left devastation and opportunity in equal amounts, the dead leaving room for the living, as well as new bonds and new tensions, waning powers struggling against growing ones.

_Perish the thought we'd learn to live in harmony after our brush with annihilation._..

She had thought that many times, but by now it was less an angry grumble and more of a dejected sigh. She had come to accept the galaxy as it was, she was no Michael to change the stars...but she wasn't about to dishonour his memory by not trying.

The dead were even still, three years after the war, being totalled, the destruction as well...yet some estimates could be made.

In the aftermath of the complete destruction of the Hegemony and most of the Terminus warlords with their entourages, the Batarians had become even more insular than before, but that was mere loose groups of people now, vainly trying to keep the species existing. And those who had survived were mostly soldiers and mercenaries still performing their profession, which would probably lead to the end of their species in but two generations.

The Hanar and Drell would be joining the Batarians in oblivion, both species too low on members after the burning of their worlds, and the Elcor had become completely extinct save for three elderly women.

Humanity was a different beast however, one of contradictions. For while Michael's meticulous preparations for the allied counter-attack had left the species to bear the brunt of the Reaper harvest – the butcher's bill was the entire population of Earth as well as two thirds of all human colonists, leaving a pitiful ten percent of their entire species alive – their species had a bizarre tendency to _breed_ while in a crisis, and those that had survived the war were exponentially growing in numbers. Not only that, but with the Batarians and most of the Terminus warlords gone, the Alliance had nearly half a galaxy to colonise and expand upon with their ever growing numbers...and in contrast to the Krogan before, the Humans had the Council's blessing in doing so, both to lend those areas stability, but also due to all the goodwill Michael and the Alliance had built up during the war.

It would take time, but Humanity's future looked surprisingly bright.

_Until they grow too strong_. Tali shook the thought aside. That was too far in the future for her to consider with so many more pressing threats to attend to...and it also made her feel weary...old. _We all aged after the battle_...

Not only the Human future looked bright, so did the Quarian-Geth and Volus' future. Both had, via their contributions to the war, joined the Citadel Council, and with the Asari economy in shambles after the loss of the eezo-rich Thessia, the Volus were the uncontested kings of wealth and were vital in the rebuilding of galactic civilization. The Quarians and Geth were second to them though, their cooperation having triggered an economic boom as lost worlds were reclaimed and synthetic workers, with Quarian allies, tirelessly worked on rebuilding not only their own lands, but those of other races.

The light of the Turians had dimmed in the aftermath of the war, but it had not gone out. They had held Palaven against the Reapers, a source of fierce pride for them, and despite heavy losses. The Turians were nothing if not disciplined, and were rebuilding all that had been lost a piece at a time. Even with the war following the end of the Reapers, they were _growing_.

The Asari were a different story. With Thessia destroyed, they had not only lost vast numbers of people – for all that had fled their colonies had gone there – but also their greatest source of wealth. The Reapers had made the planet completely barren and useless, even going so far as burning up the eezo out of spite. Yet the Asari had somehow risen past that, _stronger_...the loss of their homeworld might have destroyed what once made them great, but the wound of such loss had struck deep into every Asari...and changed them accordingly.

It was a harder Asari Tali had met in the council, a more demanding Asari, less play on words, more action. The Asari were diverging, no longer becoming mercenaries or dancers while young but instead diving into science right away – _no doubt inspired by the oh so wonderful Doctor T'soni_ – or becoming engineers and workers, jobs they'd previously scorned. Their fleet was expanding, and while their combat doctrine hadn't changed, the sheer _numbers_ of their commandos was swelling to a never before seen strength.

In a way, losing Thessia had gained them something else, something more intangible, a _drive_.

That was seen in the new Citadel. In honour of those lost, the _Asari_ had been the ones suggesting it was built over Earth, and were the ones who funded the work the most, despite their unstable economy. Some had hoped the planet it was to orbit to be salvageable, but in the end the trauma had been too much, and the crust split, spilling magma and smoke over the world, turning Earth into a crimson wound to mark the aftermath of the Reaper war.

Yet the new Citadel, while smaller and less advanced than the one that lay broken on Earth, was growing, beautiful...and most importantly..._their_ Citadel. Not a remnant of the Protheans, or a tool of the Reapers..._theirs_...the Geth in particular seemed to appreciate the distinction.

As such, the new orbited the old, a show of defiant spirit in the face of the destruction wrought on them all...a reminder of what was lost, as well as what was gained.

Not all was great, however.

The Krogan, when the failure of the Genophage cure became apparent, began a second rebellion at the behest of Wreav. If the lack of the cure was the reason, or if, people argued, the battle-hungry Wreav would have waged war with some other excuse anyway, the fact was that the war began a mere year following the wake of the Battle for Earth. They had hit spaceports all over the galaxy, gaining enough ships to make for an initial offensive against races still reeling from the Reaper war...a sickness in the wound of the galaxy.

In the end though, the Krogan could never win. Wreav was now dead at the hands of Asari commandos, and between their, the Turian, Quarian and Geth fleet, the Krogan ships had been destroyed and their few conquered worlds put under siege. With the Genophage in place, the rebellion had been doomed from the start, and the Krogan-conquered worlds had been cleansed one by one until Tuchanka itself was being targeted.

Yet the Krogan wouldn't surrender. Men, women and even what few _children _they had, all were throwing themselves into the battle. It was suicide through war, as some glumly had called it as the noose slowly tightened on the Krogan race.

Tali grieved for that blemish upon Michael's legacy, on the way it had worn on his best friend, the newly-chosen Primarch forced to bring guns to bear on children and complete a genocide over a millennia in the making.

_Garrus hasn't been the same since then, he doesn't speak of Michael with as much warmth as he once did_..._strange how time and pain can erode something so beautiful when there's no love to rebuild it anymore_. Tali felt a little sigh escape her. _Not that I can be sure, I haven't seen him for ages, duty, always duty_...

The war wasn't her concern though. It was the work of a sledgehammer, crushing the last resistance.

Her job was that of a scalpel's.

The Salarians...

Their core worlds untouched, most of their fleet intact, the Salarians were a far stronger force compared to before. The revelation of their hand in the false Genophage, as well as their attempted retreat during the battle for Earth, had left a sour note in all diplomatic relationships with them and the rest of the Council races. And the constant arguments of who was to aid how much in rebuilding when the Salarians now had so much compared to others, yet had so little in need of rebuilding, didn't help the situation either.

_The Dalatrass is treading dangerous territory, being so isolationistic_...

The Salarians didn't even aid in the war with the Krogan, content to point at how right they were to sabotage the cure in the first place...which flamed the ire of the Turians in particular with their history of the old rebellion and how they now had to serve in the frontlines of the second.

Tensions were rising, and Tali wasn't about to _debate_ it away.

_That_ was why she'd stepped down as Admiral to rebuild her homeworld, and as Councillor to sit in meetings...she was a Quarian at heart, more so than most of her kin, most would say, and Quarians _migrated_. Sitting in Council was not her forte, and any peace she might have found with the ghosts of those lost in gaining Rannoch had died with Michael.

Rannoch wasn't home, the new Citadel wasn't home.

Behind her, there was a tapping noise, light feet padding over wooden floors...and then stopping. The voice speaking up behind Tali was as familiar as it was gentle. "Spectre, I bring news."

"It's just Tali to you, EDI." Tali chided with a smile, turning to face the AI. She knew the protest wouldn't help, EDI _liked_ teasing her about the title...but stopping would be to admit the defeat.

"As you say." EDI replied with a slight bow of her head. As always, there was a gentle smile on the machine's face, gentle, but _sad_...it had been there ever since Earth, when the AI had lost part of herself.

_Wonder if I have the same sort of smile_? Tali suspected she did, but was surprisingly okay with it, there was a comfort in lingering grief.

Yet EDI's smile at least turned genuine when around Joker, Tali had none like that.

She found her smile fading, and instead opted to cross her arms over her chest, turning to the task at hand. "What news?"

"Your spy-progams have verified your suspicions." EDI replied, making Tali close her eyes and rub the base of her nose in frustration. "The Salarians have a research facility on Olor where they are trying to adapt and train Yagh into pawns that could be deployed against anyone in their way while they deny all knowledge."

"So forcing them through legal means to shut down the one on Sur'Kesh didn't help, how surprising." Tali snorted, squeezing her eyes tighter as she once more went over the alternatives, already knowing what she would have to do. She still remembered the old Shadow Broker, how terrifying and cunning he'd been...and didn't relish the thought of more coming into the world. _The new one's bad enough_... Tali could probably have asked Liara and gotten the intel right away...but she preferred not to deal with the Asari, their relationship having grown more and more cold...not to mention that Tali suspected Liara had been the one leaking the Salarian's involvement in the sabotaged Genophage cure. Morally, it was righteous, but it had been far more practical to blame it all on a dead man, however much Tali loved him...she liked to think Michael would have agreed. Blame unburied was blame creating conflict. "Didn't they learn anything from the Krogan?"

"I believe the answer to that is obvious." EDI replied evenly, making Tali sigh. _Once, you would have made a joke_..._now it's only with Joker_...

The war had left marks everywhere, it seemed.

"Tali?" The AI asked, hesitant. "Should we bring this data to the Council?"

Silence.

Then Tali sighed, opening her eyes and looking back at EDI. "No." She grimaced. _So this is what Michael used to feel_... She still wasn't used to it. "Olor is sparsely populated, right? No space-ships allowed to remain upon the surface?" She knew the answer, she had studied the planet in case...well...knowing what would happen.

"Yes."

"Then I believe it's time to show the Dalatrass a taste of what happens when you play with fire." Tali sighed, it would feel good to put the woman in her place, but Tali didn't relish the destruction and death needed for it. _Michael, I'm not as strong as you, but I'll try_..._I can only do that_. "I will not allow a Yagh rebellion to sweep the galaxy, but a small insurrection to show what they're capable of...that'll do." Tali nodded to herself. "Drones for recording, keep any feeds they have going...decryption keys for the Yagh cells, that ought to do it." A snort. "If I'm lucky, I won't even have to fire my gun."

"You seldom are." EDI replied, the soft smile remaining.

Tali chuckled at that, turning her head, gazing out over the sparkling sea beneath...and smiled._ I'll make it worth it, like you, I'll make the best out of what we have_... "No, I guess not."

Silence.

Tali took a deep breath, taking in the fresh air, unfiltered by any mask.

_I'm going to miss Rannoch_..._but this is not my home_.

When Tali looked back, she was grinning.

"Tell Joker to ready the Normandy."

8

8

8

_Thanks to Abydos Jackson for all she's done for me and all she will do, I hope it never ends._

_Both me and Abydos would like to thank everyone that has read and, in particular, reviewed this story and perhaps evenhave followed us from the first one in this series, it has been a real pleasure._


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